Nicolas Winding Refn is a filmmaker whose work many simply love or hate. There is no in between. That could not be truer with his latest, The Neon Demon.
His last several films, 2011’s Drive and 2013’s Only God Forgives were hailed by those who adore him and panned by those who simply do not care for what he does on the big screen. This writer adored those two films, especially Drive which landed on our top 10 movies of the year list in 2011. Will The Neon Demon land on this year’s top 10 list? Well, it’s too early to tell, but one thing is for sure… it is absolutely in the running.
The Neon Demon stars Elle Fanning as a young woman who heads to LA with dreams of becoming an highly in-demand model. She’s the stereotypical fresh-off-the-bus ingénue, but in the hands of Refn (who also wrote the screenplay) — she shines a bit more bombastically brighter than some we’ve seen in the past. The opening scene is just the tip of the iceberg of that fact. As such, it’s easy to see why she finds people who are simultaneously drawn and repulsed by her. And as she gains confidence in her beauty, that adoration/disgusted paradigm grows ever deeper.
As the film commences, Fanning’s Jesse is doing a photo shoot for test shots that will provide modeling agencies a first glance at what she brings to the table. The camera is quite taken with her, so too are we as well as the make-up artist who has been hired to work the shoot. Jena Malone is Ruby, and she is fantastic in a supporting role that proves pivotal to the entire experience.
Ruby takes Jesse deep into a world inhabited by the stunning, superficial and personalities that are only skin deep. The thing is, the more we see Jesse dive into this world, the more repulsed we are by it, seeing it for what it really is — a shallow, self absorbed landscape permeated by people whose cares are only centered on the person starring back at them in the mirror. Yet, we see why Jesse’s moth is drawn to that world’s flame. And the way that Refn shoots it and scores it, it is mesmerizing at the least and utterly intoxicating at the most.
Ruby also introduces Jesse to two highly paid, in demand models who could be nearing the beginning the end of their run — due to the advances of father time. Sarah (Abbey Lee) and Gigi (Bella Heathcote) are a perfect pair to impeccably embody the souls that would be not only in the business of modeling, but are the very people who are engrossed by its youth-consuming, beauty obsessed, black beating heart. They will do what they can do stay vibrant, even if it means doing everything and anything to literally and figuratively reduce what Jesse is bringing to the industry’s table.
Fanning is a revelation. She has always been a child-teen actress on the verge of landing a role that puts her on the “serious thespian” map. Her turn in The Neon Demon is that moment and she rises to the occasion. Her character arc over the film’s two hours is nothing short of a lesson for young actresses trying to show emotional range that goes beyond their years.
We also have to salute the sub-plot that involves Keanu Reeves as Hank, a seedy hotel manager. That establishment is where Jesse lands when she is fresh off the bus, as they say, and he too is an embodiment of the darker and (even) more devious side of Los Angeles that consumes the weaker female souls that descend on the city of angels for fame and fortune. Fans of Reeves, prepare to dislike him like never before.
One of the reasons we have always appreciated Refn’s work is his use of visceral visuals, accompanied by stellar sonic succulence. The Neon Demon is a commanding cinematic experience that gets under your skin. Clearly, this writer loved it. But, love it or hate it, the film will stay with you, long after the credits roll. It is not something that can be shaken. And as someone who lives in Los Angeles, let’s just say this: After witnessing Refn’s latest, your view of the world capitol of the entertainment world might just be altered forever.
Grade: A