The last time Ryan Gosling and Nicholas Winding Refn paired up to offer ‘Drive’, it was received with a standing ovation.
However, with their recent release, Only God Forgives, the Grand Theatre Lumiere resonated with boos and whistles as soon as the credit were rolling. This reaction came as a real surprise for many as the title was widely-anticipated.
Most reviewers think that this is hardly the final verdict on the movie since it probably is a reaction by the press after possible sensory overload from watching so many movies at the Cannes Film Festival.
Another factor that caused a negative reaction such as this one is probably due to the movie being screened at 8:30 AM.
In watching the movie, it’s obvious that the director has clearly moved away from the themes vividly seen in ‘Drive’. In fact, the movie has been shot in Bangkok and loaded with violence, with one scene of a man being sliced open to this ribcage while Gosling’s character, Julian, gets a real thrashing from a Thai martial artist.
And there’s his mother, Crystal, played by Kristin Scott Thomas, who has a terrible temper and a desire for revenge that is just as vicious. Julian is her younger son, and her not-so-endearing traits are made evident, thanks to the death of her elder son, Billy.
And despite the negative reaction of the critics, some reviewers are of the opinion that Refn’s work largely meets the artistic goals that he sought to meet. And from watching the flick, some of these goals include not telling a conventional story or even giving the audience what it is looking for.