Vince LeJeune

Despite other reviews, the acting is most certainly not the problem by any means in my opinion. Gosling does his best to deliver and I believe he does. Julian is an incredibly misunderstood character and like most of this film, not meant to be understood.The plot is by no means linear and I can already see how that is a big deterrent for most viewers. The scenes involving gore are incredibly explicit and are not for the feint of heart but do certainly add to this movie's tone. The cinematography is absolutely stunning and I recommend a viewing for this reason alone. The blues, reds, whites, and every color in between make every scene evoke emotion. The soundtrack is also underrated in my opinion as there is one song in particular played at the more sappy parts that is just great. Overall, while being a huge fan of the creativity, emotion, and effort put into this film shown through the cinematography, this movie falls a bit short for me. "Drive", also directed by Refn, is one of, if not my favorite movie of all time so I was a bit disappointed that this movie wasn't the same for me. While both films are incredibly creative and ambitious, they're worlds apart and it truly shows upon viewing this one. If you aren't looking for a clear cut film with a solid ending, but looking for gritty gore and excelling cinematography, then this one is for you. If you're the type of person who wants the ending delivered right in front of you or the type of person who'd rather keep the symbolism to the books they read, then this isn't for you. Very abstract film and I appreciate it for that immensely. 7/10