Rating of
1/4
Only God Can Forgive This Film
Unknown - wrote on 11/02/13
There was much anticipation for 'Only God Forgives' from film fans (including me) who appreciated director Nicolas Winding Refn's previous arthouse/mainstream mix effort 'Drive'. After initial critical backlash, I set my expectations substantially lower. Turns out that was a good decision. 'Only God Forgives' is a slow, plot-less endeavor that seems to be solely focused on visual style. The whole piece is essentially a barrage of scenes involving mannequin characters, graphic torturous violence, and odd sexual implications. There exists absolutely no emotion in a single character. The film is cold and devoid of any viewer engagement. Even in the most meandering 'arthouse' films there still exists purpose for presenting thoughts or feelings through images. Not the case here. The only entertainment I received came from one hard hitting fist fight and Kristin Scott Thomas's strange performance. The rest is un-interesting.
