breatheღme

i loved it too.

-Bianca-

Ryan is apparently not going to be in Cannes for OGF's premiere this week.

He's tied up with his directing project right now, apparently.

heaven85

Aww no pics. Thanks for the info B!

-Bianca-

NP.

Early reviews are INCREDIBLY mixed -- like marmite on blast. Everything from 5/5 best-movie-of-the-year to worst-film-of-all-time, with stops everywhere in between. Crowd reactions were the same way, with some giving it a standing O and others booing it.

The only consensus seems to be that it's more like Refn's non-Drive work than Drive, except with some of Drive's cinematography.

Chris31

Ryan Gosling Booed as Cannes Pans 'Only God Forgives'

“Only God Forgives” but Cannes audiences don’t.

Despite the fact that Ryan Gosling and director Nicholas Winding Refn’s first film together “Drive” received rave reviews and had everyone excited for their second collaboration, “Only God Forgives,” that early good buzz has been replaced with boos.

“Drive” earned Refn the Best Director award from the Cannes Film Fest’s jury in 2011, but it doesn’t appear that his equally violent follow-up will follow suit. According to those present at the film’s screenings on Wednesday, audience reactions to “Only God Forgives” were less than enthusiastic.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg reported a “ton of walkouts a number of boos” while New York Magazine’s Jada Yuan Tweeted that she and other members of the press were debating whether they heard a lot of boos or just “a smattering.” That and according to Hollywood.com’s Matt Patches, apparently Ryan Gosling only has 17 lines of dialogue.

And now that the critics present at the screening have had time to write up their thoughts and post their reviews online, it appears that the majority opinion is less than flattering.

“Movies really don’t get much worse than Nicholas Winding Refn‘s ‘Only God Forgives’,” wrote Hollywood Elsewhere’s Jeffrey Wells. “It’s a sh-- macho fantasy — hyperviolent, ethically repulsive, sad, nonsensical, deathly dull, snail-paced, idiotic, possibly woman-hating, visually suffocating, pretentious. I realize I sound like Rex Reed on one of his rants, but trust me, please — this is a defecation by an over-praised, over-indulged director who thinks anything he craps out is worthy of your time. I felt violated, ******* upon, sedated, narcotized, appalled and bored stiff.”

Awards Daily critic Sasha Stone wasn’t as appalled by the film as Wells, but also made note of the gratuitous violence.

“Nicolas Winding Refn’s follow-up to Drive takes him farther away from traditional narrative and deeper into abstract expressionism. His painter’s eye makes Only God Forgives something beautiful to behold, awash in deep reds and geometric, carefully thought out shot compositions. But what it amounts to, in the end, is the careful work of a serial killer — not literally out there killing women but indulging in one bloody killing after another, practically licking the knife afterwards.”

Still not everyone disliked Refn’s effort, which revolves around a small-time crook in Thailand who, with strong encouragement/insistence from his mother, sets out to avenge his brother’s murder.
Guardian critic Peter Bradshaw gave the film a five-star review, touting its great subtlety and aesthetic brilliance.

“‘Only God Forgives’ will, understandably, have people running for the exits, and running for the hills. It is very violent, but Winding Refn's bizarre infernal creation, an entire created world of fear, really is gripping. Every scene, every frame, is executed with pure formal brilliance. I'm afraid it's going to be even nastier the next time I watch it.”

BrucasBangelBrylan

These bad reviews won't stop me to see it tomorrow. On the contrary, i'm more eager to see it. I love when when a movie elicits this kind of reaction.

heaven85

Wow I think I will reserve my own judgment upon seeing as well though all these review are making me a bit nervous.

BrucasBangelBrylan

Well...i've just seen it and i'm sorry to say that it sucks big time. It was awful, gratuitous violence, no dialogues, weird plot. The only good thing was Ryan's hotness and it's definitely not enough to waste 10 bucks
I really wanted to love it

-Bianca-

It seems, based on general reaction, if you liked Refn's non-Drive/non-Bronson work, you'll probably at least tolerate OGF. If you wanted Drive 2 or something less OG!Refn, you'll absolutely loathe it. Definitely not a movie experience for most people.

TBH, while I'm not sure how I'll feel about it when I see it, I kind of like how extremely polarizing this film seems to be. Ryan had been playing it too -- not to sound hipster, but -- mainstream and star-ish. Between Pines's big-scale indy feel and how OTT the reception is for this, he's taken a huge step back from that and, with the oversaturation he had going on for awhile there, that's a good thing for the type of career I assume he wants to have.

heaven85

That's a good point B! He has been doing more starish and mainstream so now he's going back to what he has been doing.

-Bianca-

To be clear, I'd love for Ryan to always get great reviews and never find himself involved in any project that is less than a major critical success, but realistically, that's not going to happen.

If he's going to miss, it's best he misses -- even if in spectacular, go-down-in-flames fashion -- while trying something that isn't shameless Hollywood pander or whoring himself out... the difference between Stay and Gangster Squad or All Good Things and Murder By Numbers matters, at least IMO.

heaven85

I do agree with your point of view if he is going to miss then yes it would be better in the case you were saying.

heaven85

A poster

rrr222

Sad to hear that this movie didn't get great reviews!

I can't see that poster! :/

heaven85

Fixed it.