The Neon Demon (A-) Movie Review
In Nicolas Winding Refn's latest film, The Neon Demon, Elle Fanning stars as Jesse, a 16-year-old aspiring model who moves to Los Angeles in hopes of making it big. She's signed by Roberta Hoffman, played by Christina Hendricks, and finds "friends" in makeup artist Ruby (Jena Malone) and two models named Sarah and Gigi, played by Abbey Lee and Bella Heathcote, respectively. As Jesse falls through the rabbit hole of fame and adoration, jealous models will do anything to get what she has.
Audiences first laid eyes on The Neon Demon at Cannes this year. Critics, particularly a group of rowdy Spanish critics, heckled the film, while some audience members found themselves enjoying the perverse pleasures of Refn's latest horror(?) film. It's certainly proven to be divisive, with its fair share of admirers and critics.
It's true that mainstream audience members, those unfamiliar with the film's reputation at Cannes or Refn's earlier works, will not know what to make of The Neon Demon. There was one man at my screening, sitting directly behind me, who would laugh at unpredictable moments and shout commentary like "whoa!" and "oh no!" Thank you, man in suit at the 11:20 AM showtime at the Cinemagic Theater in Westbrook, ME, for disrupting my experience.
I don't mean to sound pretentious by "putting down" regular moviegoers for possibly having some difficulty with the film and then going on to declare my love for it. But I did fall for The Neon Demon. I think the film is a fascinatingly surreal experience, visually stunning, and not nearly as empty-headed as some of my fellow critics may suggest.
Elle Fanning delivers a truly captivating performance as Jesse. Fanning's transition from naive teen from Georgia to established, narcissistic, beauty-obsessed model is almost entirely completed in one, five-minute sequence involving three neon triangles, a runway show, Cliff Martinez' haunting score, and a nuanced Elle Fanning. It's all stunningly performed as we witness Fanning discover the power in her beauty. Jena Malone delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as Ruby, one makeup artist smitten by Fanning's looks. The depravity to which her character sinks is heightened by Malone's brave performance and should surely earn her recognition in critics' circles come awards season. The two models, Abbey Lee and Bella Heathcote, both give very different performances. Heathcote gives a funnier, more darkly humorous performance as Gigi, a superficial but seemingly friendly (if you stay on her good side) model. Lee's Sarah is far more conniving than Gigi and thus Lee gives an equally effective but more devilish performance.
They fall very much into Refn's world. In the world of Nicolas Winding Refn, characters feel like just that - characters. Perhaps it's Refn's heightened version of reality or the increasingly inhuman actions each character performs. Regardless, Refn isn't interested in a character study and never claims interest in realism, therefore, it does not matter. Here, he serves us up a societal critique, damning our culture for our narcissistic tendencies and deconstructing the idea of perfection. But The Neon Demon even extends beyond that, supplying us with an endless stream of metaphorical imagery that could be fodder for hours of discussion. Seriously, I drove two hours to see this film and I spent almost the entire ride home discussing it with my viewing partner.
Of course, this metaphorical imagery is drenched in neon color and layered under hyperstylized mania. The Neon Demon may be the most beautiful film I've ever seen, in terms of visuals. Refn's female cinematographer Natasha Braier produces exemplary work in her almost perfect photographic shots. Pause this film at any given moment and you have access to a photo ready to mount on your wall. Cliff Martinez delivers what will potentially be the best soundtrack of the year, encompassing Jesse and those around her in a pulsatingly electronic, eerie rhythm, perfectly suited to a nightmarish L.A. environment. If The Neon Demon is anything, it's technically pristine.
As The Neon Demon dives into its middle third, it can feel a bit sluggish. I hesitate to even name that as a criticism though, as the film is a consistently mesmerizing watch. Refn's pace is deliberate, as is just about everything in the film. If Only God Forgives was a tedious disappointment from Mr. Refn, The Neon Demon should surely save his current reputation. This is a fascinating film, enraptured with the complexities of the modelling industry, rife with symbolism, and a true stunner.
FINAL GRADE: A-
MPAA RATING: R for disturbing violent content, bloody images, graphic nudity, a scene of aberrant sexuality, and language
Audiences first laid eyes on The Neon Demon at Cannes this year. Critics, particularly a group of rowdy Spanish critics, heckled the film, while some audience members found themselves enjoying the perverse pleasures of Refn's latest horror(?) film. It's certainly proven to be divisive, with its fair share of admirers and critics.
It's true that mainstream audience members, those unfamiliar with the film's reputation at Cannes or Refn's earlier works, will not know what to make of The Neon Demon. There was one man at my screening, sitting directly behind me, who would laugh at unpredictable moments and shout commentary like "whoa!" and "oh no!" Thank you, man in suit at the 11:20 AM showtime at the Cinemagic Theater in Westbrook, ME, for disrupting my experience.
I don't mean to sound pretentious by "putting down" regular moviegoers for possibly having some difficulty with the film and then going on to declare my love for it. But I did fall for The Neon Demon. I think the film is a fascinatingly surreal experience, visually stunning, and not nearly as empty-headed as some of my fellow critics may suggest.
Elle Fanning delivers a truly captivating performance as Jesse. Fanning's transition from naive teen from Georgia to established, narcissistic, beauty-obsessed model is almost entirely completed in one, five-minute sequence involving three neon triangles, a runway show, Cliff Martinez' haunting score, and a nuanced Elle Fanning. It's all stunningly performed as we witness Fanning discover the power in her beauty. Jena Malone delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as Ruby, one makeup artist smitten by Fanning's looks. The depravity to which her character sinks is heightened by Malone's brave performance and should surely earn her recognition in critics' circles come awards season. The two models, Abbey Lee and Bella Heathcote, both give very different performances. Heathcote gives a funnier, more darkly humorous performance as Gigi, a superficial but seemingly friendly (if you stay on her good side) model. Lee's Sarah is far more conniving than Gigi and thus Lee gives an equally effective but more devilish performance.
They fall very much into Refn's world. In the world of Nicolas Winding Refn, characters feel like just that - characters. Perhaps it's Refn's heightened version of reality or the increasingly inhuman actions each character performs. Regardless, Refn isn't interested in a character study and never claims interest in realism, therefore, it does not matter. Here, he serves us up a societal critique, damning our culture for our narcissistic tendencies and deconstructing the idea of perfection. But The Neon Demon even extends beyond that, supplying us with an endless stream of metaphorical imagery that could be fodder for hours of discussion. Seriously, I drove two hours to see this film and I spent almost the entire ride home discussing it with my viewing partner.
Of course, this metaphorical imagery is drenched in neon color and layered under hyperstylized mania. The Neon Demon may be the most beautiful film I've ever seen, in terms of visuals. Refn's female cinematographer Natasha Braier produces exemplary work in her almost perfect photographic shots. Pause this film at any given moment and you have access to a photo ready to mount on your wall. Cliff Martinez delivers what will potentially be the best soundtrack of the year, encompassing Jesse and those around her in a pulsatingly electronic, eerie rhythm, perfectly suited to a nightmarish L.A. environment. If The Neon Demon is anything, it's technically pristine.
As The Neon Demon dives into its middle third, it can feel a bit sluggish. I hesitate to even name that as a criticism though, as the film is a consistently mesmerizing watch. Refn's pace is deliberate, as is just about everything in the film. If Only God Forgives was a tedious disappointment from Mr. Refn, The Neon Demon should surely save his current reputation. This is a fascinating film, enraptured with the complexities of the modelling industry, rife with symbolism, and a true stunner.
FINAL GRADE: A-
MPAA RATING: R for disturbing violent content, bloody images, graphic nudity, a scene of aberrant sexuality, and language