Only God Forgives (2013)

Mysterious, Cool and Sexy for Gosling

Stars   :  Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas, Vithaya Pansringram

Score  :  6.5 / 10

 

Julian (Ryan Gosling) is a U.S. citizen who fled to Thailand, after killing his father. Julian and his brother, Billy (Tom Burke), manages a Muay Thai Club in Bangkok which is a guise of drug smuggling in Thailand. Billy has a bad tempered, he had killed a young slut. A policeman, named Chang (Vithaya Pansringarm) came to the location and took the girl's father, Choi Yan Lee. Chang gave Choi a permission to punish Billy and left them alone in the motel room. They got into a fight that killed Billy. As punishment for Choi who has let her daughter involved prostitution, Chang cut off Choi's hand.

Julian

Julian went to meet Choi and get revenge for Billy. But he changed his mind after knowing that Billy had killed Choi's daughter. Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas) was very loved her children, especially Billy. She arrived in Bangkok to find the killer.

Crystal became very angry, after know that Julian left Choi to stay alive. Julian did not want to be underestimated by his mother, he hired a slut, Mai (Yayaying Rhatha Phongam) to be his girlfriend and took her to meet Crystal. But he is not receive a compliment, Crystal made him shame in the presence of Mai. Crystal considers Julian pleased with Billy's death. She also compares the ability of Julian and Billy.

Crystal and Julian's crew

Crystal asks Julian's crew to hire a member from the club to kill Choi. After Choi's death, police suspect Julian is the mastermind behind the death of Choi. Chang and policemen go to the club to inspection, but he knows that Julian is innocent. Meanwhile, Crystal got information that a policeman was also involved in the Billy death. She asked Julian's crew to kill Chang.

Chang was attacked while dinner in a restaurant, but he was able to survive and catch one perpetrators. Chang find out who's behind Choi's death and the attack on him. Like an angel of justice, Chang do the revenge.

Chang was attacked in a restaurant

Only God Forgives has reminded me with Java Heat, both are Hollywood action movie that take shot in Asia. They look so attractive with some scenes taken in a crowded populated areas, roadside stalls and public transportation from the country. Some pictures taken showing Gosling was at local Thai houses. That could make me smile because it is unique, sexy and exotic.   

However, if I were asked to choose between Java Heat and Only God Forgives, I prefer Only God Forgives with some reason. Although take shot in Thailand, which is also famous for its tourism, Only God Forgives not looks like a tourism promotion event. Everything is displayed with no exaggeration. Just look at tuk tuk (Thai public transportation), that appeared not too obvious and just a cursory pass in front of Gosling. Some tourists places in Thailand are also not forced to get into the film, because it will be useless and not support the story.      

Julian vs Chang

Julian 

In addition, Gosling also played well in this movie, though I still love Gosling in The Place Beyond the Pines. The movie script, which requires Gosling for did not do much dialogue, making him mysterious, cool but sexy in Only God Forgives. This is not the first time for Gosling working with the director, Nicolas Winding Refn. They had previously met in Drive. The director seems to have a characteristic, because some things that is in Drive also found in this film, like a bit dialogue, the lighting which made dimly with fluorescent colorful (domination of red, green and blue). In some scene, the people talked without voice but accompanied by music background. All of that further adds to the sexiness and exoticism of this film.

In terms of story, Only God Forgives has a simply story idea and can be found in other films. Such that we can take from the tittle, this movie would like to confirm a condition that forgiveness comes only from God. All leaving grudges and only be solved with vengeance, there is no forgiveness. But in spite of that, this movie is extremely entertaining.

One of unforgettable quote is when Billy says "Time to meet the devil"