2016 First Half Oscars - Best Director

My favorite category at every Academy Awards is Best Director. Well, that and Best Cinematography. I'm a geek, I know, but it's the truth. There is something about the recognition of the craft of a film, the vision of the man or woman who was in charge of it all that thrills me. It feels right up there with Best Picture in terms of significance and while those two awards used to go hand in hand with each other on a consistent basis that just isn't the case anymore. Alfonso Cuaron was recognized for the spectacular achievement Gravity but Picture went to 12 Years a Slave. Ben Affleck's Argo won the top prize but he wasn't even nominated for the personal award. It went to Ang Lee for Life of Pi.

Thus far in 2016 there have been some incredibly well made films, and of my five nominees for the award two of them are first time feature directors, one is still new to the scene and unknown, another gets booed at the Cannes film festival every couple of years and the last has been making beloved cinema for decades...and yet he still is somehow underrated when it comes to mass appeal from audiences.

Richard Linklater, Everybody Wants Some!!

Dazed and Confused. Before Sunrise. Before Sunset. Before Midnight. Boyhood. Just a sample of what Linklater has brought to the world and yet for most people, the name elicits a question back: "Who?". Well, if you loved the first film I mentioned, Dazed and Confused, you need to see Everybody Wants Some!!, the spiritual sequel to the former and you can feel the same delightful charm and essential grasp of adolescence during a specific era and the crucial moments of transition in a young person's life. Linklater just gets it and his movies are joyous. 

Dan Trachtenberg, 10 Cloverfield Lane

I really don't know much about Dan Trachtenberg except for two things, and they are pretty important: this is the first film he ever directed, and that means I need to keep an eye out for his next project because the man clearly has a terrific eye for entertaining and tension filled cinema. On separate lists I gave both my actor and actress top prizes to Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman for 10 Cloverfield Lane, and behind those amazing performances is a director who knows exactly what he wants and is leading the way. 

Nicolas Winding Refn, The Neon Demon

I'm not the type of guy who likes to play the role of contrarian, so don't misunderstand me when it comes to Nicolas Winding Refn. Some may roll their eyes at me when I praise the man's work despite a mostly negative response to it otherwise, but I am just being honest. I fucking love his movies. I find them stylish, fascinating, meaningful and important, and while some see a vapid example of style over substance, I ask them to dig a little deeper and give the man more credit than that. His movies are absolutely swimming with substance, it's just not all right there for the world to see with ease. This very much applies to The Neon Demon and the screams of misogyny can be heard from every direction, but his statement on gender in society isn't criticizing women but rather the shameful expectations when it comes to appearance that the world of modeling has placed upon its victims. Refn should have actually been nominated for the Oscar for Drive, and while he was never going to get recognition for Only God Forgives I certainly wish he would have. The Neon Demon will go down a similar path but who cares? In my heart, Refn is a Best Director caliber filmmaker every single time out.

Jeremy Saulnier, Green Room

You may not believe it from looking at him, but Jeremy Saulnier directs some mean, vicious, bold cinema. Blue Ruin made the revenge thriller feel alive again and Green Room put a new spin on a survival story by utilizing a completely unique setting and terrifyingly brutal circumstances. The late great Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots and other members of a strong cast give outstanding performances but the star of the show here is Saulnier. Every frame feels so moody, unsettling and real.

My winner for the 2016 First Half Oscar for Best Director is...

Robert Eggers, The Witch

As of the start of 2016, I couldn't even form a guess as to who Robert Eggers was. Now, I am eagerly checking on a regular basis to see what his next film will be. That's because The Witch is everything I want from a horror film and it all starts with Eggers. What a tremendous understanding of mood and pacing and lighting in order to build dread rather than cheap tricks to make an audience jump. Over the last few years I have been rejuvenated by the possibilities of the genre thanks to directors like James Wan, Jennifer Kent, David Robert Mitchell, but what Eggers achieved here is the best of the bunch. A horror masterpiece and his direction is pitch perfect.

2016 First Half Oscars - Best Actor

First was Best Actress and now it is time to shift the attention towards the leading men who have showcased their talents for the world so far this year. There have been some fascinating and, upon reflection, heartbreaking performances from actors early in 2016.

Ryan Gosling, The Nice Guys

I am a believer in Ryan Gosling. Ever since I laid my eyes on Drive, I have been a huge fan. I even joke with my wife that if he pulled up to our house in that scorpion jacket and asked me to go with him, I would have to. It's the only choice that makes sense. That being said, I never thought he could be this damn funny. He is laugh out loud hilarious in The Nice Guys through his dialogue, mannerisms and even utilizing a gift for physical comedy that in a scene or two feels like something that could have come from the silent era and been just as funny back then. 

Ralph Ineson, The Witch

I nominated Anya Taylor-Joy for her lead performance in The Witch and I will extend the same accolades to Ralph Ineson for his powerful and haunting turn as the patriarch of the family being torn apart by the devil. Ineson is so believable and convincing playing such a role during these puritan days and watching his anguish and confusing as the world around him begins to collapse is terrifying stuff. 

Anton Yelchin, Green Room

A few weeks ago, the life of 27 year old Anton Yelchin was tragically cut short in a freak accident. This is not a pity pick or merely a way to honor him. Yelchin is absolutely deserving of any and all recognition he receives and if you are unfamiliar with his work and want to understand why the world of cinema is grieving such a loss, check out Green Room. That is, as long as you have the ability to stomach this intense slice of genre filmmaking that is brutal and unflinching. This was the moment when I saw something more, something truly special in Yelchin, and then just like that only two months later he is gone. Heartbreaking and his passing will add a new layer to a film that already portrayed him as terrified and fighting for his life.

Anton Yelchin, rest in peace. You will be missed. You already are.

Josh Brolin, Hail, Caesar! 

It takes a special actor to be able to deliver Coen brothers comedy with perfection and that's what we got this year from Josh Brolin in Hail, Caesar!. The film has a lot going on and at first glance it seems like a bunch of stories messily told without resolution, but really the movie is about Eddie Mannix and Brolin plays it with ease. A unique brand of comedy and Brolin was an essential choice for the role. 

The winner of the 2016 First Half Oscar for Best Actor is...

John Goodman, 10 Cloverfield Lane

10 Cloverfield Lane is two for two with my awards so far as the performances delivered the tension of the film which is exactly what made the experience so great. John Goodman is so damn great here, every look, every word, every little twitch of his body is so scary and real. The combination of Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead makes this movie a must watch picture from 2016. I would love to believe Goodman will have his name called in the supporting category when the real Oscar nominees are announced months from now, but I doubt it. It seems like the type of performance that will be ignored by those who make such decisions but trust me, I won't forget.

2016 First Half Oscars - Best Actress

I mean absolutely no offense to anyone listed, but suffice it to say the following names are not ones I would have mentally associated with awards prior to the beginning of this year. Well, one name I at least knew had the potential but considering I didn't even know the film was going to exist until 2016 had already kicked off, hard for me to pretend I saw that performance coming.

Yes, amazingly it is already early July and thus half of the year is over. Figured it would be fun to put together some lists of nominees and a winner from each category and be able to compare it to early next year when the actual Oscars role around. See if any of my summer nominees are able to stick around all the way through the fall and winter award season releases that typically dominate the attention.

I have seen 50 films released in 2016 so far, and these are my five favorite performances by actresses from those films:

Anya Taylor-Joy, The Witch

I caught wind of the buzz that surrounded The Witch when it premiered last year at the Sundance Film Festival, but I never expected the film to floor me like it did. A horror masterpiece and the star is an actress I had never heard of prior to this performance. Safe to say she has found her way onto my radar for the long term. Anya Taylor-Joy is the centerpiece of the disturbing events that occur in the film and she nails every moment. 

Imogen Poots, Green Room

After seeing the amazing Blue Ruin, I pretty much knew I might love anything that director Jeremy Saulnier did next. His ability to utilize mood and atmosphere in order to deliver something wholly unique and intense could have easily stole the entire show for me with Green Room, but turns out a couple of top notch performances would linger in my mind as well. I have seen Imogen Poots in a few other films prior to this but I was never all that impressed to be honest. Color me impressed now. She is absolutely perfect for the setting and circumstances that surround the characters in this film, a ferocious turn by an actress perfectly cast in an amazing film.

Blake Lively, The Shallows

Totally unexpected. I have never thought of Blake Lively as a terrible actress, but I also have never considered her to be a good one either. So when I heard she was asked to basically carry an entire thriller almost alone on the screen, I was skeptical. I apologize for my pessimism. Lively is terrific as a surfer who is forced to fight for her life when a shark attacks, and I officially believe. Give her the right material and I'm completely on board, and considering she is only now 28 years old, Blake might be ready to take off and show the world her talent for years to come. 

Elle Fanning, The Neon Demon

Nicolas Winding Refn doesn't really deliver cinema that bring the performances to the forefront as his vision usually glistens with style and a sublime understanding of framing, lighting and color, while the dialogue is typically not exactly complex or in the case of his previous film Only God Forgives, hardly there at all. That being said, knowing what to expect from The Neon Demon, Elle Fanning was the essential choice to play the lead role. She carries herself so perfectly throughout in order to deliver the thematic weight of the picture, at first selling us on her doe eyed innocence and kindness, a fragile young girl entering a dangerous and demeaning world, but when the lights and attention and run of success go to her head we see the transformation and it feels real against a surreal backdrop. 

The winner of the 2016 First Half Oscar for Best Actress is...

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, 10 Cloverfield Lane

Without a doubt one of the surprise films of the year so far, especially considering the studio, filmmakers and cast managed to keep it a total secret until only two months prior to its release, an unthinkable marketing home run at a time in which we are seeing trailers for films a full year before they premiere. The lead of the film is Mary Elizabeth Winstead as a young woman named Michelle who is run off the road by another vehicle one night and wakes up chained to the floor of a room inside a doomsday prepper's shelter and she is told she is lucky. The rest of the world is dead and they must stay down there until the dust settles above. 

John Goodman will steal the headlines for his outstanding turn in this film, but don't ignore what Winstead brings to the table here. It's pure excellence and true nuance from start to finish, which is why for me she is the best actress of 2016 thus far.

The Shallows Review

At the very beginning of the film The Shallows, what we are seeing is coming from the perspective of a GoPro camera attached to the head of a surfer, and director Jaume Collet-Serra wastes no times introducing the audience to the villain of the picture. The shark strikes and we know the gruesome fate of someone in the film, but who?

When we first see a character wearing a camera, we have our answer, but rather than take something away from the experience by eliminating the surprise of his death, instead the tension multiplies exponentially as my mind immediately begins to wonder not if but when? Sometimes the scariest thing is not the unknown but rather the known. What we see coming but cannot stop.

That initial footage serves as a storytelling device meant to briefly flash forward in order to present the grim details of what is about to happen, but then we go back to the start. A young woman named Nancy (Blake Lively) is riding passenger in a vehicle and it's clear that she is a fish out of water (pun intended) struggling with a language barrier with the man driving her to a beach in Mexico. Not just any average location to surf, but a place that holds a significant importance to her. A place Nancy shared with her late mother. A spot to grieve and reflect and do what she loves to do all at once.

Clocking in at under 80 minutes of actual running time, The Shallows still manages to demonstrate patience in order to build tension despite such a short length. Nancy is given ample time to admire the beauty of her surroundings, stand confidently on her board through some picturesque waves and also talk a bit with two young men that came to the very same spot to surf. One of them is wearing a GoPro camera on his head.

We know it's coming. Not if, but when.

Eventually the shark does attack and its bite is ferocious. The screams were ringing through my ears and while not original or unique imagery, the way the water slowly turns red struck a chord with me because I found myself thinking about what a tragic final representation it was for an entire life of a human being. Everything they have already done and everything they were still yet to do, gone. Just a cloud of red amidst a sea of blue. The film itself is, for the most part, a simple story of survival, a woman versus the brutal realities of nature, but rather than just an onslaught of action and carnage, Collet-Serra turns the film itself into our version of what the beach was supposed to be for Nancy. A spot for all of us to grieve and reflect, to ponder the extraordinary value of something as seemingly obvious as being lucky enough to live the next day.

Unfortunately the blessings of this film also ended up being a bit of a curse, as a lot of the power of the minimalist narrative resides in the quiet moments and yet the enthralling first act transitions into a second act that loses some steam and ends up feeling the weight of redundancy. The way the setting is utilized by giving Nancy really fascinating places to find survive, like the floating corpse of a whale or a tiny bed of rocks elevated out of the water just enough to promise her temporary relief from certain death, ends up being the outstanding touches that create memorable moments beyond just fast swimming and underwater shots of a shark. The problem is I eventually started to become a little bit numb towards each new injury and the close calls of each kind, whether they be Nancy just getting her feet out of the water in time or the occasional person or boat in shouting distance that could be her saving grace, but we all know it can't be that simple.

Despite this drag in the middle, everything leads up to a tense and excellently filmed conclusion that had me genuinely wondering if The Shallows would have the happy ending I had expected all along or go in a very different, very dark direction. The only issue at this point in the film is the shark itself, which had otherwise been shot and portrayed very realistically but poor CG rears its ugly head and the creature is suddenly cartoonish. During this final act we are given really poetic and moving moments in which Nancy honors her mother by promising to fight like she did, and even if they are a bit cliche in terms of stirring up emotions, it all works. I found myself moved and rooting for her to fight.

Despite the occasional presence of other actors in the film, The Shallows is Blake Lively's vehicle to prove to the world that she can act and hot damn does she prove it. I'm sure some will pay for a ticket solely for a beautiful woman in a bikini but what they will also witness is easily the most impressive moment of a young career, when she was asked to display pain, fear, strength, and courage all in a small amount of time and completely sold me on every moment. Even when the film loses a bit of its edge in the middle portion, I was still invested in her and trying to figure out a path to safety, lost in that wonderful realm cinema can create where fiction and reality blur.

I only wish the entire film would have had the same bite for me as it did during the first and third acts.

Yes, pun intended.



3.5/5

Independence Day: Resurgence Review

"Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. "Mankind." That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it's fate that today is the fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom...not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution...but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!"

Some may roll their eyes and laugh when they think about the speech given by President Thomas Whitmore in Independence Day, but let's be honest for a second: it's a fantastic moment, one way or another. Whether you are emotionally moved by the sequence or find it manipulative and ridiculous, you likely at least remember it. When you hear or read those words, you are brought back to a time when you first watched the film and various scenes and images that are now iconic will likely come rushing back. Whether you love or hate the movie, the fact that it has withstood the test of time and has become a piece of well known pop culture is undeniable.

Fast forward to now, 20 years later, and the sequel has finally arrived. I'm not going to nitpick every silly moment or blockbuster cliche that pops up (although lord knows we could do without the scene in which something inspiring is being said on a radio and we are shown countries from around the world gathered around theirs, you know, being inspired). To go through all the cringe worthy dialogue and recycled tropes in a Roland Emmerich picture is like counting blades of grass to determine if it needs to be cut. The flaws of an Emmerich blockbuster are as expected and certain as the fact that shit grows when it rains.

So I'm not here to bus toss the new film for its performances, dialogue, or the tired feeling of familiarity that comes with a lot of these big summer event pictures. My biggest issues with Independence Day: Resurgence are the pacing and the fact that nothing really felt all the big and eventful about it despite the unwritten promise of such given its predecessor. 20 years in between films provided plenty of time to build chemistry and establish meaningful context to what has gone on over those two decades beyond some quick and clunky exposition dialogue to fill in those gaps. Let some of the moments that are clearly meant to be big and exciting breath a bit, give them a chance to resonate. 20 damn years they had to work with, to give an audience a big and bold sequel to a film that is loved by many, so when I saw the running time was at exactly two hours I knew we were in for some trouble.

Before I felt like I had even settled into my seat, aliens have attacked and the big save the world plan is being fleshed out and I was in shock, and there is my biggest issue with this film, the one thing I keep coming back to when deciding exactly how I feel about it now: nothing felt important enough to remember. Not long term at least. 20 years since Bill Pullman gave that speech and I still feel like I can quote it word for word, and there are quite a few more like it from that film that have stuck with me all this time and make me want to revisit it every damn year around the fourth of July. Silly or not, I keep coming back.

I know for many Independence Day: Resurgence will make a worst of the year list when it comes time to publish those. I just can't go there despite all the glaring and frustrating flaws and missed opportunities present throughout. In the end I had some fun with it, and I am more than willing to watch Jeff Goldblum and Judd Hirsch share a screen together, or hell, even on their own as they spend most of the film, their characters managed to entertain. Had some laughs, enjoyed some action even if it wasn't anything spectacular. Liam Hemsworth is surprisingly charismatic in what is essentially the lead role here, although any chemistry he attempts to share with his fellow newcomers Jessie T. Usher and Maika Monroe is nonexistent. As a huge fan of both The Guest and It Follows, I was excited to see someone like Monroe get a crack at the big budget material but it pains me to say that she was completely under-utilized and much like the entire film, forgettable here. As a connective tissue between the original and now, playing the daughter of President Whitmore, I expected something more relevant than former fighter pilot, current White House employee and girlfriend to the lead. In essence Monroe is that piece of the narrative that is supposed to tug at the heartstrings, cutting to her tear filled eyes when either the former President or Jake Morrison (Hemsworth) are in danger. The movie wasn't patient enough to build up any reason for us to care, and the success and nostalgia from the first, far better film isn't enough.

I'm probably being too kind with my score, but I had a good time at the movies in the moment. Unfortunately down the road, none of it will matter and the resurgence will be forgotten.




2.5/5

O.J.: Made in America Review

Must...not...fall victim...to....hyperbole...

Ah screw it. I believe it so I am just going to say the words: O.J.: Made in America is the best documentary I have ever seen. I have watched tremendous docs in the past, some that have resonated with me for years after watching (looking at you, Dear Zachary), but nothing has ever been this carefully and perfectly constructed before. This is 7 and a half hours of the most compelling filmmaking I have seen in quite some time, brought to the screen by producer and director Ezra Edelman. I can't help but wonder if he had any idea just how incredible of an achievement he was piecing together during the process.

Utilizing interviews and a ton of real footage, we are told a story that revolves around O.J. Simpson but covers so much more along the way. During the early portions of the film I couldn't help but take notice that a lot of time was being spent on racial tension and police brutality and society as a whole with very little mention of Simpson, but not a single moment lacks relevancy for the entire thematic weight of this project. Even if it seems to stray from what you might have expected turning on a film about the infamous murder case many of us remember so vividly, every moment matters. Every second is perfectly calculated and ties into a bigger picture systemic situation that made me realize all along I have been asking the wrong question for 20 years, but I will get back to that later.

What really works about this movie is that it plays to everyone, regardless of your prior knowledge of O.J. as a person or the horrific murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. I recall my mother being highly invested in the case when it was going on, and I was 10 years old so easily able to absorb much of what was being shown and said and those memories have stuck with me. Despite this, with the way this film lays out all of the puzzle pieces and then slowly pieces them together and the depths at which they cover it all, everything felt new. Even when I shouldn't have been surprised, I was sitting there in awe of just how immersed I was in the entire experience, and that is thanks a supreme understanding of how to tell the whole story through careful planning and then utilizing editing as a narrative weapon.

If you know nothing or at least only the basics heading into this doc though, O.J.: Made in America will sweep you off your god damn feet. At this moment it's the best film I have seen this year and I had the knowledge going in. I am jealous of anyone who is shocked by every strange twist and unsettling turn throughout the course of this real life masterpiece, a brilliant examination of the domino effect that can happen in society when hundreds of years of prejudice, injustice and abuse can ripple through all the way until the tragic moment when a famous, beloved black man has the blood of two white people on his hands on June 12th, 1994. The course of the trial was determined before it even began, but no one could see it until it was too late.

Earlier I mentioned how I have been asking the wrong question for 20 years. Prior to watch O.J.: Made in America, I had always asked how it was possible that he could have gotten away with those murders. Now I can't help but wonder if there was ever even the slightest chance he would be convicted. The deck was stacked against the prosecution from day one, but eventually that house of cards was doomed to fall.



5/5

The Neon Demon Review

When I was 12 years old, I had a grand mal seizure. An abnormality in the brain. Epilepsy. Two pills a day. Specific amount of sleep. Avoid triggers like flashing lights.

It has been 20 years, almost to the day since that moment and even though I was cleared by my doctor at 18, the desire to avoid those triggers remains. It's ingrained in me. Two decades of closing my eyes at the sight of a strobe light, unable to shake the fear that shook my soul so many years ago.

A red flashing light pulses through the frame in The Neon Demon. The beautiful faces of models in Los Angeles glow with each burst only to disappear a split second later. Jesse. Ruby. Gigi. Sarah. Beauty isn't everything, it's the only thing.

Almost everyone I know loves the film Drive. It's a dream come true for a filmmaker, to make a picture that receives almost universal acclaim and it's the best thing that ever happened to Nicolas Winding Refn. Not because of money or awards, but rather because of the general attention he has received from audiences that would hopefully seek out his future work. Future films they may boo and express anger towards because the man wants to make art that polarizes, which was quite evident when he followed up the success of Drive with the lavish but loathed Only God Forgives, which in my lonely world is a masterpiece.

Two decades of closing my eyes at the sight of a strobe light, but when that light began exploding into my retinas watching The Neon Demon, I couldn't look away. It was the first time I can remember over the past 20 years that I told myself, stop being silly. Something this beautiful, this hypnotic, this unsettling demands to be seen and to be appreciated. I feel like I should include the disclaimer that this movie isn't for everyone, but that's not a warning to steer clear, that's an invitation to come inside and see how it moves you. You may hate The Neon Demon. You may feel inclined to curse at the screen when it ends and demand your money back on the way out, but you will remember that time you cursed at the screen. You will remember the look on the teenage theater employees face when you hold out your hand and wait for a refund. You will remember The Neon Demon and it's shocking, beautiful, deranged imagery one way or another, and that's the type of cinema I want to see.

I'm not going to use this as a platform to bash other films by name, but within the last month I have seen some that I barely remember a single second of. Fun in the moment perhaps, but completely forgettable over time. Embrace provocative cinema that lingers, that titillates, that disturbs because it will live on.

The plot is simple but the way Refn goes about telling the story is anything but. Jesse (Elle Fanning) is new in town. Los Angeles, looking to be a model. She's 16 but when Roberta Hoffman (Christina Hendricks) hires her, she tells her to lie. You're 19, not 18. 18 is too on the nose. She's young and fresh faced and explodes onto the scene and the other models have taken notice, women who pay top dollar to fix what never needed fixing in the first place, their faces and bodies being altered to try to stay relevant in an industry that will chew them up and spit them out. At one point a model is heard commenting that someone they know is 21 years old so she might as well retire.

Beauty isn't everything, it's the only thing.

Ruby (Jena Malone), Gigi (Bella Heathcote) and Sarah (Abbey Lee) take notice, and the tension, anger and jealousy is instantly palpable. Not with Ruby, she sees Jesse differently. She smiles when Jesse enters the room. She stares at her and then apologizes for it. Ruby reaches out to her like a friend but there is something deeper, something more. With Gigi and Sarah, what you see is what you get because their true feelings and insecurities can't hide behind narcissistic words or phony smiles. They are destroyed by the arrival of Jesse. They see everything they have worked for, everything they live for evaporating before their eyes. All because of the beauty of a girl just hoping for a chance to stand in the spotlight, a chance to make a name for herself. They not only want to be rid of Jesse, they also long to taste what she has. Something they can never have again.

Every frame of The Neon Demon feels so carefully and perfectly constructed. The colors, the sights, the sounds, the movement of the characters. It's essential viewing even if it makes you feel dirty by the time it ends. It should make you feel dirty. The photography of Natasha Braier is absolutely electrifying. The musical score by Cliff Martinez is sublime, and the first thing I did after the film ended was look up how much it would cost to buy the soundtrack. The performances aren't always perfect but I'm not entirely sure they are supposed to be. This film walks a very thing line between that familiar Refn style and an absurdist bizarre satire that feels like something from the mind of David Lynch, and I think the acting fell in line with this concept. I was reminded of the first time I watched Mulholland Drive and I was scratching my head over the way the dialogue was delivered so awkwardly at times, only to later realize that I was stuck in some sort of fever dream that I wanted to fall back into over and over.

Including myself, six people were in my theater and I was the only one smiling in the end. I am certain The Neon Demon is destined to be one of those films that is horribly misunderstood, torn down and stepped on by a majority because of it. I have already come across those that want to shit on Refn for his misogyny, for portraying women in such a shallow, negative light, but I didn't find this movie to be a criticism of an entire gender but rather a commentary regarding the unfortunate reality of the way women feel forced to compete in this world by a repulsive, appearance obsessed society, a world that places such a disgusting premium on physical traits that rather than admire the beauty of another human being, instead the instinct is to find a way to tear them to the ground as a means of self-elevation. This isn't something relegated to Hollywood stories, I have seen it with my very own eyes. The hatred that is born of jealousy, the cruel and unsettling ramifications of misplaced anger when a woman I know personally speaks viciously of someone else without even truly knowing her, only because all the eyes in the room become transfixed by the confidence that carries her through it. In a perfect world we would feel good for them and their success, but this is a world where every room contains multiple mirrors in order to ensure outward physical perfection while the concept of inner beauty is laughed at and dismissed. This is far from a perfect world.

Ever since I was 12 years old, I have kept my eyes closed without giving it a second thought. I left them open for The Neon Demon.




5/5