Ryan Gosling - Only God Forgives# 2: Only God Forgives emerges as a triumph of stripping things down to the bare essentials

rrr222 · 08-30-2013, 08:02 PM

Only God Forgives
Appreciation Thread
#2;

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Only God Forgives is a Danish-French Production. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn starring Ryan Gosling and Kristen Scott Thomas. Nicolas is doing prep work in Thailand right now, and shooting starts Feb 1, 2012 according to various sources.

A quick summary from Danish Film Institute and the French co-production company Wild Bunch respectively:

"Julian lives in exile in Bangkok where he runs a Thai boxing club as a front for the family's drugs smuggling operation. When Julian's brother Billy is killed their mother, Jenna, arrives in the city. She wants revenge and forces Julian to find the killer. Julian's contacts in the criminal underworld lead him directly to The Angel of Vengeance, a retired police officer who knows everything and who is both Judge and Punisher. Jenna demands that Julian kill The Angel of Vengeance, an act that will cost him dearly."

"Bangkok. Ten years ago Julian killed a cop and went on the run. Now he manages a Thai boxing club as a front for a drugs operation. Respected in the criminal underworld, deep inside, he feels empty.

When JULIAN’s brother murders a prostitute the police call on retired cop Chang - the Angel of Vengeance. Chang allows the father to kill his daughter’s murderer, then ‘restores order’ by chopping off the man’s right hand.

Julian’s mother Jenna - the head of a powerful criminal organization - arrives in Bangkok to collect her son’s body. She dispatches Julian to find his killers and ‘raise hell’.

Increasingly obsessed with the Angel of Vengeance, Julian challenges him to a boxing match, hoping that by defeating him he might find spiritual release… but Chang triumphs. A furious Jenna plots revenge and the stage is set for a bloody journey through betrayal and vengeance towards a final confrontation and the possibility of redemption."

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Only God Forgives is a polarizing affair, never once holding the audience’s hand or coddling viewers into a pleasant slumber. It’s an oppressive piece of work, but Refn’s visual mastery; which includes long tracking shots of empty hallways, artful slow motion, and splashes of stark reds and blues courtesy of cinematographer Larry Smith, are a thing of formal brilliance. Add to this a beguiling synth-driven score by Cliff Martinez, Kristin Scott Thomas’s entertainingly trashy turn and Pansringarm’s brooding intensity, and Only God Forgives buries its way into your skull and refuses to leave. ~SymbioticReviews
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Previous threads: 1

Fearless Warrior · 08-31-2013, 08:19 AM

I love the OP.

mzfit2u · 08-31-2013, 09:03 AM

Haven't seen it, yet. But, in my mind kind of imagining something similar to an old Chuck Norris or Bruce Lee film. Although, I know it will be dramatically different. From an artistic standpoint...am looking forward to viewing the cinematography! The music is always good in all of his films.

rrr222 · 09-03-2013, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fearless Warrior (View Post)

I love the OP.

Thank you!

^I haven't watched it either but I also think that it will be a similar movie to those

I really love the blue and red colours imagery

Fearless Warrior · 09-03-2013, 05:14 PM

Me too.

**heaven85** · 09-05-2013, 12:17 AM

I haven't watched it either but I will at some point. We should all try to see it around the same time.

rrr222 · 09-05-2013, 04:34 PM

We really should Lina!

**heaven85** · 09-05-2013, 10:12 PM

As along as everyone can get a copy to watch

rrr222 · 09-07-2013, 09:04 AM

Yeah!

**heaven85** · 09-08-2013, 12:50 AM

Cool we should give it a shot.

rrr222 · 09-08-2013, 09:03 AM

Totally!

**heaven85** · 09-09-2013, 09:13 PM

Do you think you can find a copy to watch?

rrr222 · 09-09-2013, 09:17 PM

I think so ...

**heaven85** · 09-09-2013, 09:25 PM

That will be awesome.

Chris31 · 09-14-2013, 06:17 AM

I watched it last night. I love Ryan but I have to say I didn't like this movie at all. I thought it was boring

and the violence

didn't help either. It's honestly 1 of the most bizzare movies I've ever seen. I mean yes, Ryan looks great but even that wasn't enough to save this movie for me. As in Drive he doesn't say much. Although he does talk more than he did in Drive. lol I thought Drive was an odd movie and violent as well but for some reason I loved Drive. This 1? Not even in the same league as Drive for me.


Fan Forum > Archived Celebrities > Ryan Gosling > Only God Forgives# 2: Only God Forgives emerges as a triumph of stripping things down to the bare essentials