You’d expect Only God Forgives, the latest from Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn, to contain a spot of violence. The director’s trademark style of bringing a ruthlessness to onscreen brutality is as upfront as ever in these newest three clips. Debuting at the Weinstein Company’s Cannes preview, the three snippets brought down the house. They also cast a new light on the typically prim-and-proper, Kristin Scott Thomas. Quite a dirty light.
Only God Forgives revolves around Ryan Gosling’s Julian, a drug-smuggling pawn in his mother’s sprawling drug empire. When not managing his illegal Thai boxing ring, Julian’s mother, Crystal hands him the task of tracking down his brother’s murderer.
The first practically dialogue-free clip begins with a shooting and keeps up the pace throughout, demonstrating Refn’s skill for action. It is in the second highlight when action takes a breather and some killer dialogue comes to the fore. Kristin Scott Thomas is clearly living it up playing against type as the blonde Crystal. The British actress who usually adopts compelling, yet sedentary characters embodies the kind of mother you’d dread taking anyone home to meet.
During the scene, Julian introduces his latest girlfriend to his mother. Instead of perhaps offering her a cup of tea, or asking if she had a nice weekend, Crystal goes right for the type of chatter any prospective partner loathes: Sex. In particular: having your genitals referred to as a “cum dumpster” and hearing your potential Mother-in-law rue the size of your partner’s appendage. Yes. Click on the second video below to have a listen to Scott Thomas moan about Gosling’s teeny weiner.
What is most intriguing to this writer however, is the final 1 minute-long excerpt. It doesn’t contain a lot of action or bad language. No, what this last look exhibits is a very, VERY Lynchian mood. Channeling the specifics of Lynch’s universe, the scene takes place in a lounge club. A girl sways behind a red curtain while music in the style of Badalamenti echoes throughout the bar. The style screams Lynch, with Gosling escaping shots to cause further violence elsewhere. The calm, simple attacks he lashes out are reminiscent of Blue Velvet’s Frank.
Only God Forgives debuts at Cannes next Wednesday, and will be released in cinemas on July 19th.
