Review of Only God Forgives (2013) by Thegodfatherson — 18 Jul 2013

Let's get right to the basics, shall we? At one point in "Only God Forgives," the cartoonishly dark revenge saga starring Ryan Gosling, a man is terrorized by having sharp chopstick-like blades rammed through both arms, then both legs.

Only God Forgives is a treasure trove for cinephiles, which may be the problem. Refn's influences dominate when you most want them to fuse into a personal style all his own. The film never coheres the way Drive did.

There's motion but no momentum. Gosling, meant to be a blank page for us to write on, often looks merely blank. Where Drive shrewdly mystifies, Only God Forgives stupefies. You can see its gears grinding.

But I'll always hang on for a rare talent like Refn. Even when he stumbles, he leaves you eager to see what he's up to next.