Lost River

Lost River ponders people and places left behind in the name of progress. Slyly political, it observes the mortgage crisis through a warped looking glass. The cinematographer, Benoît Debie, finds a perverse beauty in the decline.

"Mad Men" co-star Hendricks’ radiant beauty works in striking contrast to the near-apocalyptic surroundings. Even though this movie is unusual, Hendricks emanates classic Hollywood movie-star appeal.

The bad news is that it still doesn’t quite work, largely because Gosling has bitten off more than he can chew, assembling ideas and images without the directorial vision to connect them.

Given the talent assembled, the emptiness at its center only makes it feel like more of a waste. But it does look great, it does sound great (the score, by "Drive" soundtrack contributor Johnny Jewel, is one of the film's best elements), and can be fitfully interesting.

It goes off the rails early and often. You almost have to give it props for how resolutely batshit it is. Almost.

The story, more a tangle of violent, symbolic gestures, regards economic exploitation with fetishistic, impossibly overdetermined abandon.

The result is cinema you don’t watch so much as absent-mindedly scroll through, wondering when an idea or an image worth clicking on will finally show up.

One of the best movies of 2014. I enjoyed every part of this movie. Ryan is a fantastic director as well as an actor. The dark real world fairy tale like story is great, the visual are fantastic, the performances are good, especially Matt Smith as the psychopath Bully. The panning this movie got i really didn't understand. With all the unoriginal movies these day's it's great to see an original, well directed movie. Critic's really don't know what their talking about. Lost river is a Masterpiece

The intro cuts, shot choices, color tones, neons, the shallow dof shots, and wide angle shots are incredible. Ryan truly made Detroit a character. Yes there are influences of Refn, Cianfrance, and Malick, but shouldn't there be? I even felt a little bit of Harmony Korine. Ryan is a talented and dedicated actor, he spent the time while on set with these directors to learn from them, no surprise that his directorial debut would show their influence. Ryan is also a musician, and the number that Ben Mendelsohn does with what I believe to be Ryans voice or at least written song is electrifying. Eva Mendes is underrated period, she killed in A Place Beyond the Pines, and her talent to convey strong emotion with little to no words is seen again in this film. All in all, the movie was casted perfect, hats off to the casting director and Ryan. The story is one of the directors narrative, which is what film should be. Viewers need to learn to appreciate movies for moments and originality, rather then hold every film they see to summer blockbuster standers or cookie cutter scripts. This movie is a cinematic art installation, and a look into Goslings storytelling mind. I'm sure it will be a cult classic, and nevertheless how dope is it that a leading actors brain works like that? I mean imagine this film for the generations to come, and the body of work Gosling will leave behind? How cool would it have been if James Dean would have made a film like this? Pay attention to the monologues and writing in this film, its phenomenal. I hope he directs more films in his career, and this film deserves a wider release. Hollywood sometimes under appreciates, as well as doesn't give the credit certain artist deserve because they won't do studio movies or be a puppet. This is a great movie, and I hope more people have the opportunity to see it. - Jutt DaRe

You can easily see the influences from Nicolas Winding Refn and David Lynch in this film; it's so dreamy and airy, yet colorful while the film feels slow and almost a bit lifeless. While the story becomes a bit muddled and incoherent, the calibur of the cast's talent as well as the film's soundtrack leave me hopeful for Ryan Gosling's next project.

Bizarre, disturbing and occasionally uncomfortable, yet Lost River isn't necessarily bad. It's well casted and explores a visually and thematically diverse environment. If anything else, it proves Ryan Gosling's promise--with potential for cinematic gold to come.

Ryan Gosling’s first rodeo at the Writer/Director’s chair was something. The dramatic mystery-fantasy ride that Gosling is taking us on is enchanting but also disturbing. Lost River first looks like a documentary or an old film but it gets weird real fast. The documentary aspect of it comes from the debt crisis theme the movie has, people choking with debts leaving their homes, deserted neighborhoods and ghost towns but the film goes from a very grounded theme into a phantasmagorical world filled with disturbing dark metaphors with violent and/or dodgy characters. The music is hypnotic and fits the surrealism atmosphere of the film but it gets annoying real fast. Although it mostly fits the movie, there’s almost too much of it, the music is not really helping in the cinematic experience of Lost River. No matter how you may feel about the movie you can't deny that it's beautifully acted. Ryan Gosling knows how to pick his cast but the one I was most surprised about, was Iain De Caestecker, whose presence and performance was electric. Iain is impressive, from the second he appears on screen everything you need to know about his character is there, you can read it on his face, his attitude and hear it in his voice. He held his own next to Hendricks and Ronan, as it turns out he is incredibly talented. I know Lost River must be - is - a metaphor but god I need help to figure it out. I may not be doing enough drugs to understand that film or I haven’t experience enough of life but it was difficult for me to decipher. A short version of the film would have been fine, great even, but a full feature film, wow that’s something. Lost River is an experience, like any ride in an amusement park it will leave its mark but it doesn’t mean that you’ll enjoy it. @wornoutspines