Only God Forgives

If you were expecting Only God Forgives to be anything like Nicolas Winding Refn's last film Drive, you'd be sorely mistaken. The only connection between the two is Ryan Gosling and he is nothing like the Driver in this film. In the pre-screening interview, Refn said that this film is like being on an acid trip and not the kind where you go to party and dance it off, the kind of trip that you think you're a part of the furniture.

At it's core this film is all about revenge. Julian (Ryan Gosling), is the owner of a Bangkok boxing club. His brother has just been killed for murdering a sixteen-year-old prostitute and his mother, Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas) has come to kill the man responsible. That man is Lt. Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm). Crystal and Julian endeavour to take down this powerful police chief.

This movie is ultra-violent. When they spoke about A Clockwork Orange being a detriment to cinema audiences back in 1971, those critics would have no idea about how violent cinema would become in the years that followed. Although, the violence in this film is justified and reasons are given for it.

The cast is incredible in this movie, especially the performances from Thomas and Pansringarm. Kristin Scott Thomas is just unbelievably evil and openly speaks of the distaste she has for her son Julian to every person she encounters. She lets on that her relationship with her first son, Billy (Tom Burke) was a lot closer than a mother and son should have. She is a bit of a combination of Lady MacBeth and Jocasta (from the Greek tragedy Oedipus).

Pansringarm is brutal as Lt. Chang. His character reminded me somewhat of Gene Hackman in Unforgiven, the law officer who wants to do the right thing in the wrong way, except Chang goes about this in incredibly violent ways. Thai culture is really infused into his character, as every time he completes a violent act, he goes to a karaoke bar and sings a Thai folk song.

Gosling plays more of minor character. Yes, he is sort of the main character but he moves the plot along and is a quiet rage machine. Julian has a lot of anger toward everyone in the film as he is in a sort of self-imposed exile. The only other cast member worth mentioning is Ratha Phongam. She is quite a well known Thai actress and I believe that this is her first English language film. Phongam plays Mai, a prostitute who has caught the attention of Julian. She is very beautiful and has amazing talent as an actress.

Verdict: I like this film no matter how much of an acid trip it is, but it's a film that has divided everyone who has seen it. Feel free to tell me on Facebook or Twitter how wrong or right I am, as I know it has already sparked debate with filmmakers and critics alike. It was booed at Cannes but also received a standing ovation in the same screening.