Search results for: Nicolas Winding Refn

#5. Nicolas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives Gist: Julien (Ryan Gosling) runs a Thai boxing club in Bangkok, but the business is a front for...

Only God Forgives Director/Writer: Nicolas Winding Refn Producer(s): Lene Børglum U.S. Distributor: RADiUS-TWC Cast: Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, Tom Burke, Yayaying Put a hype, young filmmaker who is...

We often discuss performance, image, sound and a distinct voice in what makes the measures of a great film. Refn check-marked all these boxes when he made the cinematic wallop known as Drive. One of the highlights for 2011, the union between Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn might provide one more cinematic gem for 2012, that is if they get back together quick enough.

I remember when they announced the titles for this year's Main Competition and being baffled/puzzled by the inclusion of Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive. Yesterday we found out why it was deserving selection alongside the 19 other competing titles. Starring a soft/angry Ryan Gosling, this is a genre mixer with references/homages to Bullit, Michael Mann's nocturnal cityscapes and it embodies the viciousness of Cannes' winner Oldboy. A film that will won't work for some, but for others this is a game changer -- three folks gave this a perfect score.

I remember when they started assembling the players for this project first by giving the Danish filmmaker behind the Pusher trilogy and the excellent Bronson the chance to come to go "Hollywood", and then by going against type by casting names like Gosling and Mulligan for what is essentially an action movie not unlike the BMW films. A strange yet stellar cast plus an expert in genre films in Nicolas Winding Refn, means this could burn some serious rubber.