WHAT'S THERE TO FORGIVE?

Look at this pic and be warned people! You make a stupid movie, you end up ass whooped like my friend here, hunky Canadian Ryan Gosling, whom I refer to as the 'NEW BRAD PITT'.  

The movie 'Only God Forgives' I must say, got me speechless. Don't get me wrong, I am not taking sides on whether it was a good or bad movie. I just found myself confused and unsure that I watched a movie or just stared at a poster for over an hour!

In the usual manner of most Ryan's recent movies, Only God forgives is a movie with very few words and cast and one may find it hard trying to understand its theme and the basis of making this movie.

Only God Forgives is a 2013 French-Danish co-production crime  thriller film written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, starring Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Vithaya Pansringarm(Some Asian dude). The film was shot on location in Bangkok, Thailand.

Ryan Gosling plays Julian, a US expatriate living in Bangkok, Thailand who runs a boxing club, which is actually a front for a massive drug smuggling operation. His older brother Billy brutally rapes and kills an underage prostitute before surrendering to the Thai police. Lieutenant Chang – known as the "Angel of Vengeance" – arrives on the scene before informing the girl's father, Choi Yan Lee. Chang allows Choi to beat Billy to death, but cuts off the man's arm for allowing his young daughter to remain in the business of prostitution.

Julian and his crew go to Choi's kiosk to confront him about his part in Billy's murder. Choi reveals that he was forced to kill Billy by the "Angel of Vengeance", and, by having his arm severed, has paid the price for his crime. Julian is mesmerized by the near-mythical Angel of Vengeance and spares the man's life.

Julian's mother, Crystal, arrives in Bangkok to identify Billy's corpse. Crystal demands Julian find and kill the men who killed Billy, but he refuses—believing that Billy deserved what he got for his vile crimes against Choi's daughter. Crystal demands that Julian kill the Angel of Vengeance, but he again refuses.

Well Julian's refusal which was perceived by his mother as betrayal and jealousy led to a chain of events that saw Chang passing judgments and punishments by the sharp end of his sword which he carries with him at all times.

I have to confess, there were some scenes that got me admiring the movie, and i kinda enjoyed the concept where there were few words and glimpse of abstract images in some scenes that may not have any meaning but contributes some kind of uniqueness and weirdness to the movie. 

Personally I think the movie is meant for reflection rather than for entertainment. I found myself every once in a while drawn to the character of Chang, 'the angel of vengeance' who can be presumed to be 'Judge Dredd or 'the arm of the law' rather than Julian who is the lead character of the movie. I attached a philosophy to the movie which is that 'nobody is above the wrath of the law', I guess that is why I am finding it difficult to put a finger on it as I am trying to understand if the movie is a bad attempt to make an action flick, or just a thriller after all.

Well, if you are a fan of movies with little dialogue like 'a place beyond the pines' and 'drive' both of which starred pretty boy Ryan Gosling, then Only God forgives is the movie for you.