Only God Forgives

This film is worth watching, it is very gripping and suspenseful. There isn't much dialouge at all, it is mostly just atmospheric. The plot is relatively simple, a chain of people killing others who are then linked to someone else. The ending is left open to your imagination too. There are some really gruesome scenes in this movie but this sort of thing was needed to keep the viewer gripped on the way the story was unfolding. Ryan Gosling was a very mysterious character again (as in Drive) and he portrayed this very well. The supporting cast were also good.

Overall I found this film to be quite good, was a relatively short film but I didn't feel it was 'dragging' like some said. I preferred 'Drive' but this one is still worth a watch.

7/10

First motif to see this film is the beautiful trip across various references. It is a majestic film about mother - son relation, about justice, revenge options and equilibrium. It is not an easy or comfortable movie. But it has a precious virtue - the details. Everything becomes a story itself. No doubts, not very comfortable but fascinating at whole. Because, in essence, it is a precise and profound inspired exploration of the themes and cinematography of the thrillers of the last decades. The Asian sensibility is the basic ingredient. So, just a beautiful work. ,

"Only God Forgives" is a dark, serious and ultra-violent movie. It weighs in on Asian symbolism, spiritualism and response to revenge or own hand rights. It flows more like a music video than actual movie (even though it does not have fast cuts). That description also fits "Drive" but whereas that movie gained critical acclaim, this one has had way more split response and it's easy to see why.

Considering that even with star Ryan Gosling, "Only God Forgives" is to be considered a sub-genre movie and indie release, I can predict many people go to see it because of the previous (director & lead star) collaboration "Drive". I, like many others marching into movie theater to see it, had high hopes after Drive. I jokingly said that this is "Drive II". Well, it's not.

Director Nicolas Winding Refn has leaned towards heavy symbolism here, and unfortunately at the cost of plot where one considers how movies should have even a some kind of structure and character development. I had the impression after the movie that tackling the symbolism the writer/director probably thought he had invested more to his characters than he actually has. Gosling is the less spoken man like in the predecessor Drive, but without any likability. The "heroism" of the Drive main character could have been argued on but in this case there are no heroes or good guys in the movie. Just a self made perception of each religious or other view.

Some reviews said that the movie is style of substance but again (sorry) I need to reference to Drive and question even the style. It had couple of really nice shots and scenes with unique atmoshpere but I found it lacked the coolness. Also the stylisticity (is it a word?) of some the gore scenes only show of a bad taste. In my opinion you're either full on splatter or you're on the other end of the scale, not something in between.

This type of story would have been more powerful with some kind of invested emotion. I did not feel about anything when watching this movie. That is what separates if from it's predecessor and also other great movies. Now it's barely good.

I am afraid Nicolas Winding Refn have taken a step back here, although I am also pretty sure he does not entertain a thought of mainstream acclaim -that much we've seen from the previous movies. I hope he takes a sidestep for his next movie, and tries something different because he really is talented and an INDIVIDUAL director.

I don't understand the general dislike for this film. Yeah, I heard all the reviews and admittedly, the reviews turned me away from the initial release. It didn't help it was only in my town for a week. Either way.... I low key love this film.

I love the color palate. I love the pace. I love how it creates a world completely alien to the one I live in. While the story is very basic, it is visceral. You understand how Kristin Scott Thomas commands so much fear. You understand how Julian does not want to be like her. You understand how Chang prefers to work outside the confines of law and order with his own brand of justified punishment. The motives are clear, and while the older brother Billy is way too cartoony evil, we had to quickly establish the central conflict.

The thing about such a film is this...where does art end and pretentiousness begin? I think a lot of people interpreted this more for the latter than the former, wanting a dull Tarantino style revenge epic with tons of swearing and pretentious pop culture dialogue. What they got was a neon bathed slow burn, and it worked so much better. In the end, we see why it would happen that way. Chang is brutal and even caustic, but he is fair in the dog eat dog world of the drug dealing underclass. And boy, did that ending seem satisfying.

Those who have not seen a lot of film from multiple eras and styles of film making might not get this type of feature, but that is okay. For those who know high concept, low plot type film making, this one is for you.

There isn't a lot of dialog because there isn't much of a plot. What there is, is at best, clumsy and predictable. I am not sure that it was even that believable.

There is however lots of silence, dark brooding nothingness, Thai Karaoke, lots of blood and questionable sexual relations of one sort or another. Perhaps these elements were supposed to fill the void. However it was not enough.

Great performances from all the cast but even they couldn't save it. At times Ryan Gosling just looked lost and bewildered and I don't think he was acting. I found it annoying and pretentious.