Only God Forgives Review

Rated R (Strong Bloody Violence including Grisly Images, Sexual Content and Language)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 30 Minutes

Cast-

Ryan Gosling-Julian Thompson

Kristin Scott Thomas-Crystal Thompson

Vithaya Pansringarm-Lieutenant Chang

Yayaying Rhatha Phongam-Mai

Tom Burke-Billy Thompson

Gordon Brown-Gordon

Byron Gibson-Byron

Sahajak Boonthanakit-Kim

Charlie Ruedpokanon-Daeng

Kovit Wattanakul-Choi Yan Lee

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Ryan Gosling stars as Julian in Nicholas Winding Refn's divisive film, "Only God Forgives."

Note: Viewed through Video on Demand. In English and Thai with English subtitles. Review may contain spoilers.

Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive" was one of the most critically-acclaimed films of 2011 (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) but it was sadly overlooked during the 84th Academy Awards, where the only nomination it received was for Best Sound Editing. Audiences, however, hated the film, with one moviegoer in Michigan going so far as to sue distributor FilmDistrict and theater company Emagine Novi for false advertising and alleged anti-Semitism. Apparently, she thought it would be like "The Fast and the Furious" series. If there was any evidence that stupidity knows no bounds, this would be it. I finally sat down to watch "Drive" recently and I have to say that I was completely blown away. The performances, the music, the cinematography, the slow-burn atmosphere…all of it clicked together so perfectly. Now Refn is reuniting with actor Ryan Gosling for "Only God Forgives," which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival back in May to largely mixed reviews, with many journalists booing the film. This polarized reaction actually made me want to see it even more and it quickly became one of my most anticipated films of the summer. After all, Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" was booed at Cannes and it turned out to be one of the best films of 2011. Now in limited release and also available on VOD, "Only God Forgives" is a stylish, hypnotic, violently depraved crime thriller that explores the darkest recesses of the human soul and emerges as one of 2013's most daring pieces of cinema, a true masterpiece that will hopefully get its proper due in the years to come.

Julian Thompson (Ryan Gosling) is an American expatriate living in Bangkok, Thailand with his older brother Billy (Tom Burke), where the two run a Muay Thai boxing club, which is actually a front for a massive drug smuggling operation. When Billy brutally rapes and murders a sixteen-year-old girl, plainclothes police officer Lieutenant Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm) has the father of the girl beat Billy to death as a form of retribution. Julian initially attempts to avenge his brother's death but he lets the father go upon learning what Billy did. Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas), Billy and Julian's foul-mouthed mother, flies into Bangkok to collect her eldest son's body and demands Julian to go after the people responsible for Billy's death. This puts Julian on a collision course with Chang—the 'Angel of Vengeance.'

"Only God Forgives" is one of those films that pretty much require a second (or third) viewing in order to fully grasp its meaning. While it shares some similarities with "Drive" with its near-mute protagonist and minimalist narrative, Refn's latest is much more abstract, with the picture seemingly existing in a nightmarish dream world where the characters are trapped in a Hell of their own making. The blaring horns of Cliff Martinez's score during the opening credits (which are displayed in Thai) evoke the tone of a horror film. Boiled down in simplest terms, "Only God Forgives" is an Oedipal revenge thriller dressed up as an Old Testament parable of sin and punishment. When Lieutenant Chang, standing in as the vengeful 'God' of the story with his priest-like attire, comes upon the bloodied body of the sixteen-year-old girl that Billy had just raped and murdered, he willingly allows the girl's father to avenge her death. The father proceeds to bash Billy's face with his bare hands until there's nothing left but brain matter. However, that's not the end of it. For forcing his daughter into a life of prostitution, Chang slices off the father's right arm with his sword, which the officer hides just underneath his clothes. In the film, everyone must atone for their sins, no matter how small.

No explanation is given as to why Lieutenant Chang does what he does, with the unassuming officer spending his nights singing cheesy karaoke songs about unrequited love. He and Julian are pitted against each other in a game of cat-and-mouse when Crystal demands that the score be settled with Billy's killers. There are incestuous overtones to Crystal and Julian's relationship; her expression is that of someone who hasn't seen their lover in a long time when the two finally reunite. After verbally berating her son for not being 'man enough' to handle the situation, she says that she'll take care of it and then lightly brushes her finger on Julian's arm. Julian doesn't encounter Chang until thirty minutes in but there are moments where he experiences surreal visions of the officer slowly stalking him, a sign of his guilt weighing heavily on his conscious. Refn's camera often focuses on Julian's arms and his slowly unclenching hands. In the beginning of the film, Chang slices off the father's right arm because he is indirectly responsible for his own daughter's death by letting her sell her body on the street. His 'inaction' as a father led to his daughter's murder. The end of "Only God Forgives" finds Chang about to slice off both of Julian's arms while they're standing in an empty field. Refn suggests that violence breeds more violence because people don't do enough to stop it due to their inaction. Trapped between two opposing forces, the only action left for Julian to take is to accept his punishment, which also happens to be his salvation or 'forgiveness.' Both his arms are covered in his mother's blood (how this happens you'll have to learn for yourself) and by losing them, he 'severs' his ties to Crystal, the 'Devil' of the film.

To go along with the picture's extensive use of symbolism, Refn drenches "Only God Forgives" in an oppressive atmosphere populated by garish neon colors. Much of the action is set in narrow hallways, with the perspective of the camera lending the film a feeling of claustrophobia. The pacing is best described as glacial, with events taking their time to unfold and left to linger. Despite the horrible people inhabiting it, the film is a beautiful sight to behold thanks to the slick production design from Beth Mickle and the mesmerizing cinematography of Larry Smith. This beauty is contrasted with the extreme violence on display. One unsettling scene finds Chang torturing the man who ordered the hit on him by stabbing him in the arms, thighs, eyes, and ears. It'll definitely make you squirm in your seat. Perhaps the most memorable aspect of the film is Cliff Martinez's synth-heavy score. It perfectly complements the picture and reinforces it as an operatic mood piece where the story isn't so much conveyed through dialogue but rather its visuals and music.

Since "Only God Forgives" relies so much on its style to tell its story, the performances in the film are largely treated as an afterthought. With a grand total of seventeen lines of dialogue, Ryan Gosling's Julian is even more stoic compared to the Driver, although this time he has a name at least. The character is a blank slate that's left wide open for interpretation but it's clear he suffers from a guilty conscience. Likewise, Vithaya Pansringarm says very little yet the actor manages to exude a quiet menace despite his harmless appearance. Leaving the biggest impression is British-French actress Kristin Scott Thomas, who plays Julian's Medusa of a mother. With her heavy make-up and bleached blonde hair, Thomas' Crystal overshadows all the other characters with her acidic tongue and displays a love-hate relationship with her son. One minute she's tearing down Julian for having a 'small cock' and the next she's literally begging him to protect her from Chang. What makes Thomas' performance so brilliant is that the character is fully aware of her appalling behavior but she's unable to help herself. Finally, there's pop singer Yayaying Rhatha Phongam as Mai, a prostitute that Julian seems particularly fond of.  

Debuting on July 19, 2013 with a limited theatrical release as well as on VOD, "Only God Forgives" has received mainly negative reviews with only 34% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that 'Refn remains as visually stylish as ever, but [the film] fails to add enough narrative smarts or relatable characters to ground its beautifully filmed depravity.' I'm sorry but I just don't agree with that sentiment. The reason I love this film is because it's challenging; it's not safe like all the other cookie-cutter fare that Hollywood typically releases. That being said, I do admit that you have to be in a special frame-of-mind before you sit down and watch Refn's hellish vision of humanity's darkest impulses. It's easy to make a snap judgment and dismiss "Only God Forgives" as 'terrible' but a film this bizarre has to be savored. I know I'm courting controversy with my opinion but f*ck it, this is one of the best films of 2013 and I highly urge people to go see it, regardless of whether you end up hating it or not.

Final Rating: 5 out of 5

"Let me tell you, if the tables were turned, your brother would have found your killer and brought me his head on a f*cking platter! And you just sit there thinking he got what he deserved! F*ck you."