The Neon Demon
Welcome to Movie Night with Brandon, which is basically my excuse to discuss and review any film I feel like. Whether it's a brand new film or an older one, it's whatever I feel like doing. With all that out of the way, let's talk about some movies.
Going into this movie I knew only three things; It was booed at Cannes, it has a 47% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it's written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. Needless to say, I was very excited while walking into the theater. Drive is one of my favorite films of all time and I also really liked Bronson. When Only God Forgives came out, people seemed to resent it while I thoroughly enjoyed. It's not by any means flawless, but it's very misunderstood and in my opinion overly hated. It's seems that once again, I possess the same un-popular opinion with The Neon Demon because I really liked this movie.
The Neon Demon stars Elle Fanning as a girl named Jesse, who is trying to make it in Los Angeles as a model. She instantly rises to the tops and the competition feels very threatened by her. I have to stress this now like I do frequently in my reviews but this is absolutely not a film for everyone. Without getting into spoilers I have to say that this film goes places a standard audience wouldn't like in my opinion. Thats one thing I loved about the movie is the guts it has to go there. Nicolas Winding Refn makes films he wants to make. He doesn't cater to standard expectations as a film-maker and I admire him for that. I was also in a theater where the audience completely ate it up and also seemed to like it as well.
This film boasts the most dazzling cinematography I've seen all year. The shots and general lighting in this film are masterful and deserve Oscar recognition. Another plus to the film is the exceptional soundtrack. I loved the score so much, first thing I did when I got home was searched for it on iTunes. The acting in the film is also really well handled. Elle Fanning and Abbey Lee both do exceptional work. While they're never performances that demand your attention through flashy caricatures, they instead subtly entice you through their genuine talent. But by far the best actress of the film is Jena Malone who steals every scene her character occupies. Another thing I want to discuss which is a major positive for me while it can be a negative for others is Nicolas Winding Refn's direction. While this is mostly a style over substance movie, I love his style and it's what made me love him as a director in the first place. His style is so unique that it's hard not to become transfixed on every shot and scene he directs. While I hate comparing directors in reviews, the third act of this film felt very much like a David Lynch movie, and it was damn awesome.
I have a few issues with the film, one of them being the ending. Not the actual ending itself but the pacing of the third act felt a little bit unfocused. It could've been stream-lined much better to make for a more powerful ending. I also wish some other characters had more to do and other sub-plots had more of a conclusion. One character in particular had been completely forgotten in the last half hour and I wish there would've been some conclusion to where that part was going.
Overall, The Neon Demon is a polarizing movie that some will love and some will hate, I happen to be a part of the former. This movie is still lingering in my brain and I really desire to see it again as soon as possible. It is definitely a film that needs to be watched a few times to comprehend some of it's metaphorical elements. It is visually brilliant, contains one of the best soundtracks all year, and has great staying power though excessive yet mature depravity.
Going into this movie I knew only three things; It was booed at Cannes, it has a 47% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it's written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. Needless to say, I was very excited while walking into the theater. Drive is one of my favorite films of all time and I also really liked Bronson. When Only God Forgives came out, people seemed to resent it while I thoroughly enjoyed. It's not by any means flawless, but it's very misunderstood and in my opinion overly hated. It's seems that once again, I possess the same un-popular opinion with The Neon Demon because I really liked this movie.
The Neon Demon stars Elle Fanning as a girl named Jesse, who is trying to make it in Los Angeles as a model. She instantly rises to the tops and the competition feels very threatened by her. I have to stress this now like I do frequently in my reviews but this is absolutely not a film for everyone. Without getting into spoilers I have to say that this film goes places a standard audience wouldn't like in my opinion. Thats one thing I loved about the movie is the guts it has to go there. Nicolas Winding Refn makes films he wants to make. He doesn't cater to standard expectations as a film-maker and I admire him for that. I was also in a theater where the audience completely ate it up and also seemed to like it as well.
This film boasts the most dazzling cinematography I've seen all year. The shots and general lighting in this film are masterful and deserve Oscar recognition. Another plus to the film is the exceptional soundtrack. I loved the score so much, first thing I did when I got home was searched for it on iTunes. The acting in the film is also really well handled. Elle Fanning and Abbey Lee both do exceptional work. While they're never performances that demand your attention through flashy caricatures, they instead subtly entice you through their genuine talent. But by far the best actress of the film is Jena Malone who steals every scene her character occupies. Another thing I want to discuss which is a major positive for me while it can be a negative for others is Nicolas Winding Refn's direction. While this is mostly a style over substance movie, I love his style and it's what made me love him as a director in the first place. His style is so unique that it's hard not to become transfixed on every shot and scene he directs. While I hate comparing directors in reviews, the third act of this film felt very much like a David Lynch movie, and it was damn awesome.
I have a few issues with the film, one of them being the ending. Not the actual ending itself but the pacing of the third act felt a little bit unfocused. It could've been stream-lined much better to make for a more powerful ending. I also wish some other characters had more to do and other sub-plots had more of a conclusion. One character in particular had been completely forgotten in the last half hour and I wish there would've been some conclusion to where that part was going.
Overall, The Neon Demon is a polarizing movie that some will love and some will hate, I happen to be a part of the former. This movie is still lingering in my brain and I really desire to see it again as soon as possible. It is definitely a film that needs to be watched a few times to comprehend some of it's metaphorical elements. It is visually brilliant, contains one of the best soundtracks all year, and has great staying power though excessive yet mature depravity.
One of the best movies I've seen all year, thus far.
ReplyDeleteGotta see this now! And catch up on the other movies he's put out. I loved Drive and am a huge Tom Hardy fan and have been wanting to see Bronson for a while now.
ReplyDelete