Rent My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (2014)
3.4 of 5 from 51 ratings
0h 57min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Nicolas Winding Refn's wife Liv Corfixen's film "My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn" is a personal documentary about her husband and his struggle to reconcile a fast growing career as an international film director with his role as a family man and father. Corfixen follows Refn as the family moves to Bangkok for 6 months for the production of his feature film 'Only God Forgives', through to the world premiere of the film at the Cannes Film Festival. The film gives a unique insight into the dynamics of family life, the warm friendship between Refn and Ryan Gosling, and a glimpse into the cult director and tarot reader Alejandro Jodorowsky.
- Actors:
- Liv Corfixen, Nicolas Winding Refn, Ryan Gosling, Alejandro Jodorowsky
- Directors:
- Liv Corfixen
- Producers:
- Lene Børglum
- Writers:
- Liv Corfixen
- Studio:
- Icon
- Genres:
- Documentary, Special Interest
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Reviews (1) of My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
NWR is a good film-maker, but not a nice person. - My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn review by DB
ON THE recently released 40th Anniversary Blu Ray edition of the film "SORCERER" - director William Friedkin's 1977 classic, there is Bonus material: a two-handed interview with Friedkin and Nicolas Winding Refn, conducted at Friedkin's house all about why Sorcerer failed at the box office. Throughout this interview, you can see Friedkin getting more and more annoyed by Refn's continous asking of the same question in slightly different ways. "Nick, how many times do you want me to answer the same question?", Friedkin asks, his patience finally snapping. Throughout the interview, Refn displays a detached arrogance, constantly saying things like: "We all now that I am the new version of you" [Friedkin] and: "Hey, Bill. When did you know Sorcerer was a flop?" - to which the director responds with a cold: "No. You can call me Mr. Friedkin". And, it is Refn's frosty arrogance that carries over into this film - a documentary about the making of his 2013 movie, "ONLY GOD FORGIVES" - a film shot and set in Thailand, starring Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott-Thomas. The film was the follow-up to Refn's very successful DRIVE - and it tanked at the box office. Going back to the Friedkin interview, Refn calls ONLY GOD FORGIVES a "masterpiece", after which he is totally shot down by Friedkin.
This documentary is a companion piece to ONLY GOD FORGIVES (a film I have seen and happen to like), and it mostly shows Refn moping around in an unbuttoned white shirt, stuck in his Bangkok apartment on the 47th floor in a high-rise, worrying about the structure of the film, and how it will be received upon release. Most of the film is shot by Refn's wife, who also has to deal with her baby children. Once the film is done, the Refn's go back home in Denmark, where Refn goes through episodes of mania and doubt, convinced his film isn't good enough - but it does well at the Cannes Film Festival, so Refn is happy.
This documentary serves only die hard fans of Refn's work, and those who like Only God Forgives. It is scored by Refn's regular collaborator, CLIFF MARTINEZ, and the music is the best thing about the film. Thankfully, this documentary is only one hour long, and as Refn's wife says:
"I love you, but you are not easy to live with".
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