There's a time and a place for everything, and in proof of this, the much adored Ryan Gosling's latest movie Only God Forgives has reportedly been booed at the Cannes Film Festival. We know what you're thinking, surely because there wasn't enough Gosling on screen right? Not exactly. Apparently film critics were not taken with the explicit violence portrayed in the crime thriller.
The film reunites Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn and it's star Ryan Gosling in a dark and brutal tale about drug smuggling and revenge. Playing a drug smuggler living in Bangkok, Gosling sets out to avenge his brother's murder when besought by his mother (Kristen Scott Thomas). It has so far received mixed reviews at best, which is quite a drop from the director and actor's last collaboration which one the festival's Best Director award for Drive.
One critic stated 'to judge from the boos and whistles after the Only God Forgives screening today, I wouldn't exactly lay odds on a 'Best Director' repeat for Refn'. However another noted that it was only a 'smattering of boos' so perhaps the film can be retrieved from this screening letdown. There's always one or two eejits in an audience so here's to hoping this theory applies to this case.
Shots such as one character sticking his hand inside a woman's slashed body have garnered the most vocalized criticism. Landing an extra dig, one critic Kyle Buchanan went on to say 'Gosling doesn't have much to say in this movie, but the auditorium sure did." Boo hiss to you sir, don't know know Gosling's power radiates out from his forlorn face, and not solely his words? Watch Drive again for god's sake, he says approximately five lines throughout. Not everyone gets Gosling, but not everyone likes cake and chocolate so clearly there's a fair smattering of nut jobs in the world. Don't cry blue eyes, we'll never boo you.
Only God Forgives will arrive in US cinemas on July 19th and in the UK on August 2nd.
