Lost River- Review

Lost River- 'Dark, twisted, electrifying, fantasy'

Lost River gained negative reviews at the Cannes festival. I had medium expectations for the film. Despite all the backlash from festivals. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a great cast Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan, Iain de Caestecker (who I use to watch in the UK series 'The Fades') and Matt smith and Eva Mendes. A really interesting cast all filled with such character. I was so surprised by the spectacular amounts of effort and thought it must have taken to create such a story and little sentimental touches within each scene for example where Rat (Ronan) was singing on her synthesiser and sang beautifully, to the Bloody Burlesque (the story behind it Parisian Horror burlesques) and Ronan's nan played by the glorious Barbara Steele known for starring in black and white Italian Gothics. 

The only problem I had with the film was the dialogue it could have been a little more exciting at times and the length of the film. The cinematography was beautiful the colours were well thought out the neon lighting similar to 'Only God Forgives', 'Place beyond the pines' and 'OldBoy'. 

I loved how some scenes were like moving images and collages of videos overlapping, it really brought a unique perspective on how the characters were experiencing the moment. I felt like I was a voyeur in one of my dreams the whole film was very dream scape and nightmarish at times. Some of my favourite scenes were when Christina Hendricks character begins her performance in the burlesque show, Matt Smiths gas station and car scene, and where Rat and Bones dance and talk in the tainted street lights along the road. 

The film had its only little twisted genre a romanticised, violent, beautiful sick fantasy in which Goslings head is the meat grinder of all fantastic dark ideas. The acting was incredible and I particularly loved bones little side story of going to Lost River and Rats side story where she repeatedly plays the same bleak VHS tape for her grandmothers wedding day as she mourns her husbands death many years ago.  

It was very Lynchian and Kenneth Anger which makes sense because Ryan Gosling used Angers 'Scorpian Rising' as inspiration for his characters jacket in 'Drive'.

I was a little disappointed at the length of the film as I felt just as I was being drawn into Goslings wonderland of warped characters and blissful dream like landscaped it ended. I was drawn back to reality, but maybe that's what he was trying to imply that you do wake up from dreams and return to reality which at times can be just as twisted. It was filmed in Detroit and the derelict urban landscaped contrasted beautifully with the costumes and lighting from the barbed wire fences and sunken street lights to Bully's glittery statement Jacket (which I loved.)  I noticed it had a Terrence Malick touch,  the romantic story line was very lets runaway together, 'Badlands' feel and some scenes like the more landscapes shots and the opening shots reminded me of shots similar to Malick's 'The Tree of Life'. 

 I hope to see more of Goslings warped fantasies and masterpieces in the future. The dark twisted American dream (scape) was electric and I thought it was superb and have already watched it twice I highly recommend.

Rats song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx83owWT5Ck

Trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ngDiG9V8w

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