Only
God Forgives (2013)
Starring:
Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, Vithaya Pansringarm
Writer
& Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
*This is revised from an older review I did upon the film's VOD release*
Synopsis
(From Anchor Bay):
Julian,
an American fugitive from justice, runs a Thai boxing club as a front
for his drug business. His mother, the head of a vast criminal
organization, arrives from the U.S. to collect the body of her
favorite son, Billy. Julian's brother has just been killed after
after having savagely murdered a young prostitute. Crazy with rage
and thirsty for vengeance she demands the heads of the murderers from
Julian. But first, Julian must confront Chang, a mysterious policeman
-and figurehead of a divine justice- who has resolved to scourge the
corrupt underworld of brothels and fight clubs.
Review:
Since
it's VOD release a few months back and now with the Blu-ray, I have
watched Only
God Forgives five
time. FIVE TIMES. I bet some people would deem me insane for that, as
it's not a very well received film. I
feel like it's
trickery. At first glance, it's easy to just simply get lost in the
style and beauty of it all, because it is one severely gorgeous
looking picture. A second viewing makes it apparent that there is
much more to it. Plus,
going over the features of the Blu-ray helps out a lot, and points to
the meaning of things that were honestly right out in the open. Only
God Forgives carries a sort of supernatural undertone; that's how
Refn puts it, and it makes sense when taking that into consideration
and watching it again. And then again with commentary. I thought
there was way more to the movie anyway, but had no idea just how much
more.
The
visuals of Only
God Forgives
are
simply outstanding. There is not one single frame of this film that
isn't beautiful to look at. So very loud in color. Lots of neon, some
yellows and greens, but the entire picture is largely lit
in red and blue, ala
Argento.
Not even just with color lighting, but with what some characters are
wearing, or how a red chair will be seated next to a blue wall. Red
and blue is all over the place in this movie, damn near every scene.
And I swoon at all the slow moving camera work. So slow that at times
you feel like you will fall out of your seat with expectation of
what's around the corner. Shots that travel down hallways are at a
snail's pace, kinda reminiscent to Lords
of Salem,
if
I'm being honest. I
eat the anticipation right up.
On
the acting front, everyone is good, but you're going to have to
strongly base your opinions off of body language, rather than
dialogue delivery. There just simply isn't a whole lot of it.
However, that in no way means that there isn't a deep story to take
in. Ryan Gosling as Julian has less to say here than he did as
Driver, but there's something about his movements and eye contact
that is totally compelling. Then you have Vithaya Pansringarm as
Lieutenant Chang- seriously one of the most intimidating characters
I've seen in a good bit. But in the end, I would say that Kristin
Scott Thomas as Crystal steals the show. She has the most to say out
of anyone, and the things she has to say are so direct.
The
special effects are pretty impressive, and honestly more plentiful
than expected. There's some seriously intense gore here and there.
I'm not saying the movie is a break-neck pace revenge thriller with
butchery around every corner. Things come out of nowhere and punch
you in the face without warning.
Cliff
Martinez's score has a different flavor to it than what he did for
Drive,
but it's really perfect for the film. He creates the Thai karaoke
music heard in Only
God Forgives,
and these are fabulous tunes, especially the one that plays during
the final credits. The score that plays throughout the film taps into
many emotions and film genres. You get some romance, some action
style music, a horror vibe -thanks to pipe organs. It's
really all over the place. I love it. In many instances the music tells the story instead of dialogue, and it's all that's needed in the scenes where this occurs.
Final
Word:
Only
God Forgives
is
LARGELY audience dividing, but I don't know what movie isn't anymore.
Seems like 90% of everything that comes out now has just as much
lovers as haters. I'd recommend it to fans of Refn's past work,
though, fans looking specifically for something along the lines of
Drive
are
going to be disappointed. This reminded me of a David Lynch film in
style. If that's your thing, give it a go.
Blu-ray:
The Anchor Bay/Starz Blu-ray release of Only God Forgives in presented in 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1) with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The movie looked good on VOD; it looks fantastic on Blu-ray. The coloring is just so wild and punchy. It's very nice to look at. I could enjoy the movie with even less dialog than it has, just by the visual style, and the Blu-ray release really sells it. Same can be said for the 5.1 audio. It's totally house shaking, and gives Cliff Martinez's score the the attention it deserves.
Special Features
Feature Commentary with writer/director Nicholas Winding Refn and Damon Wise - Well worth a listen, especially if you want to better understand the movie, meanings for the subtle moments of dialogue, inspiration, color scheming, etc...
Director Interviews: Talking about Thailand with Mark Dinning / Discussing genre films with Bruno Icher - Both of these little featurettes are interesting. Second being my favorite because you get a taste of Refn's influences.
Behind the Scenes: The drug trade / Staging the brothel scene / Framing the gun fight / "The sword you execute people with" / Slicing the arm / Prepping for the shootout / The sincerest form of flattery / A face for radio / On the sets with Refn / The tongue / Kendo techniques / "Violence is like sex" - I was really surprised with how much coolness was included with the behind the scenes feature. The staging shot and sword segments are the best. And Gosling and Refn are pretty fun to watch when they're together.
The music of Only God Forgives with Cliff Martinez - Easily my favorite feature on the disc. The music might sound simple to some, but there's a lot more to it than you'd think. Some of the instruments used are genius and not really conventional. Martinez takes you through how the composition was structured and the blending together of instruments. He also explains how the music itself is a big star of Only God Forgives. Such a great feature.
Final Word:
Fans of the movie are definitely going to want the disc. It was a bit more loaded than I expected, with just looking at the back of the box. Well worth it, as far as I'm concerned.
Only God Forgives is available now from Anchor Bay/Starz, and can be ordered HERE.
- Eric (Brobocop)
