I'll admit that what drove me to watch this film was the internet's sheer disappointment in it. I had seen Only God Forgives mentioned within several "Worst Films of 2013" threads and thought to myself, "Really? The worst film?" The success of director Nicholas Winding Refn's previous film, Drive, seems to have had a negative effect on Only God Forgives and aided in its chilly reception.
Those who enjoyed Drive were excited for another Refn film starring Ryan Gosling, but what they got was something different. A much slower-paced, artsy, and overall uninteresting product. The viewers wanted everything they loved about Drive, and something more. Well, in my opinion, Refn did give us something more, something much more.
I'm not going to bother doing a summary of the film but I do want to stress that the characters have much more going on than what is presented at the surface, specifically Ryan Gosling's character. It took me two viewings to fully grasp what was truly taking place.
The cinematography alone warrants a viewing of Only God Forgives. Each scene, each shot, is a treat for the eyes. The composition of dramatic colors has always been striking to me; part of the reason I found Spring Breakers so enjoyable. I believe if you watch the film on mute you would still be able to accurately follow the plot; that is just a testament to how well the cinematography compliments the story and characters.
This review is more about asking those of you who haven't seen Only God Forgives to give it a chance, pay attention, and look beyond the surface. You may be as pleasantly surprised as I was.
Those who enjoyed Drive were excited for another Refn film starring Ryan Gosling, but what they got was something different. A much slower-paced, artsy, and overall uninteresting product. The viewers wanted everything they loved about Drive, and something more. Well, in my opinion, Refn did give us something more, something much more.
I'm not going to bother doing a summary of the film but I do want to stress that the characters have much more going on than what is presented at the surface, specifically Ryan Gosling's character. It took me two viewings to fully grasp what was truly taking place.
The cinematography alone warrants a viewing of Only God Forgives. Each scene, each shot, is a treat for the eyes. The composition of dramatic colors has always been striking to me; part of the reason I found Spring Breakers so enjoyable. I believe if you watch the film on mute you would still be able to accurately follow the plot; that is just a testament to how well the cinematography compliments the story and characters.
This review is more about asking those of you who haven't seen Only God Forgives to give it a chance, pay attention, and look beyond the surface. You may be as pleasantly surprised as I was.