Only God Forgives reunites violence-loving director Nicolas Winding Refn with his Drive star Ryan Gosling for the story of a man (Gosling) whose cold-hearted mama (Thomas) urges him to seek vengeance against the man (Vithaya Pansringarm) who killed his brother. The trailer came out a few days ago (many days ago?) but I couldn't bring myself to type about it before now because my finger was too busy hitting "replay". The film opens in July and the wait might be excruciating.
Kristin Scott Thomas. Cinematography by Larry Smith
The trailer came out a few days ago (many days ago?) but I couldn't bring myself to type about it before now because my finger was too busy hitting "replay". We'll break it down with our Yes No Maybe So™ system after the jump and I promise to say something about it other than "OMGKristinScottThomas OMGKristinScottThomas OMGKristinScottThomas" though I can't promise I won't also say that a few times.
YES
Kristin Scott Thomas submerged in Production Design
- OMG KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS IN A TOUGH SHOWCASE ROLE? A thousand times yes. This trailer is forcing me into all caps because damn girl. Get it.
- OMG KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS is so deserving of a mainstream revival. France has attempted to colonize her exclusively and this cannot stand!
- DIRECTOR/MUSE relationships are among the most fascinating that the cinema has to offer... at least when they don't overdo it (*cough* Leo/Marty Tim/Johnny). So Gosling with his Drive auteur is a must for a second round.
- THE COLOR. It gives this amateur colorologist thrills every time he sees it (and he can't stop watching it for some reason... not the usual case with trailers)
- THE FONT SHIFT! There's style everywhere.
- BANGKOK. I just like saying it. And looking at it.
- THE GRIFTERS. I'm getting a strong 'Anjelica Huston devouring John Cusack vibe' from this trailer and this is a very high compliment. (Have you seen The Grifters? One of the very best films of the 90s)
- THAT PAIRED SHOT of the crotches is possibly ridiculous / sexist / over the top / filthy in context ... but I couldn't love it more.
Yes, I illustrated this post with only photos of Kristin Scott Thomas and Ryan Gosling's crotch. What are you going to do about it?
NO
- "Wanna Fight?" is a great trailer punchline don't get me wrong. But like a great woman once sang "♪ I don't care who's wrong or right, I don't really wanna fight no more. It's time for letting go ♫" Yes, maybe I'm grasping at straws for a "No" but I do find it frustrating that so many great movie stylists love the ultra-violent crime genre when there are other genres that are desperately in need of visual rescue.
Plus... I think I'm a little worn out on excessive cruelty at the moment. Before typing this I watched the second episode of Hannibal and I think I'm not moving on to a third. It's well made but it strikes me as a waste of a truly original creative force (Bryan Fuller of Pushing Daisies and Wonderfalls brilliance) on something we've seen a thousand times before...serial killerzzz. There's just so much killing and mayhem every night on TV now that the censors are okay with formely R rated grisliness on network TV. Do we really need just as much of it again on the big screen?
MAYBE SO
Kristin & Screen Son. Shades of "The Grifters?"
- I'm not sure about the long hair on KST
- Stoker proved to me that even the most die hard style junkies and actressexuals (i.e. myself) can be let down even when the style and actresses are working it. So I'm trying to dampen my enthusiasm somewhat.
- I concede that there is a possibility that Kristin Scott Thomas only appears in like three scenes since that's the amount of costume changes. This concession does not amuse me unless those scenes are the three best scenes in the movie.
- Is the plot interesting or just a ton of foreplay until a final two-man showdown? Not that the plot matters when there's this much style and potential actorly chemistry. The pairing of Kristin Scott Thomas and Ryan Gosling feels inspired. On paper at least.
Are you a Yes No or a Maybe So? I am a firm YES but admittedly that was pre-determined by the brilliant Drive even before this red-hot and hot-red tease.