InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

rockman182 I've seen this film once before a few years back. While I wasn't overly impressed by it at the time, it just felt like one of those films that would grow on you when you revisit it and re-explore some of the themes that the film offers. On top of that it's directed by Ryan Gosling, who is probably my favorite actor going today.The film is best described as a surreal fantasy that follows a mother and her son, who are being threatened by eviction and other forces and need to try to survive. She takes a shady job to get by and her son is caught in the midst of a bully (aptly named Bully) who is out to make his and his girl's life hell. That was a terrible description, but it's just hard to encapsulate the film in a summary since its more experiential, than a by the books films.Gosling was definitely inspired by both Nicolas Winding Refn and David Lynch. I see more of Refn in it than anything, it's surreal, high on style and colors, dreamy music, gore, and characters who are memorable. I will say I don't think Gosling has truly mastered the scope of what he's trying to accomplish as the film is quite light on the effectiveness of having delivered a meaningful plot. However, I really enjoyed the film regardless. I love films that are dark with neon colors, atmospheric cinematography, and one that dips into the macabre. This film offers all that.I quite love the score of the film. I love the scene with Bones and Rat dancing in the abandoned building set to the dreamy and synth heavy music of The Chromatics (who is a Lynch favorite as we have seen on Twin Peaks this year). It's a beautiful scene, as a matter of fact there is a lot of beauty in the scenes of this film. I'm optimistic about Gosling's future in film, especially if he is emulating the best. This will be a love it or hate it type of movie and I'm on the positive side.7/10

mjb-80812 I have never watched such an awful movie with no redeeming social value. Blood, guts, kids left alone, witnessing cruel acts. The most disturbing film I have ever seen. I see no hope for humanity when people enjoy this trash. And in addition I have to fill 5 more lines to be reviewed. How can I write about a movie that includes innocent children.

suite92 The Three Acts:The initial tableaux: The film has two locations. One is Lost River, a more or less country version of Detroit: jobs are in short supply, law enforcement is non- existent, salvaging copper is a dangerous way to make money, and the gangster Bully kills anyone who opposes him. Billy has two children. One is Bones, who salvaged copper at the wrong time, and is on Bully's extermination list; the other is Frankie, who is a bit past toddler. Bones and Rat become friends. Bones tries to find the origins of Lost River's problems.In order to keep her house, Billy takes a job at a house of horrors (with plenty of simulated gore and mayhem) and starts to adapt to it with Cat's help. The bank arranged (well, extorted) that; her loan officer runs the house of horrors.Delineation of conflicts: Bully wants to keep his little empire of fear and hate. Bones wants to figure out what all was drowned when the river of 'Lost River' was dammed (not damned...or was it?). Billy would like to keep her house, but also escape from the bank's coercion. She listens to the monologues of the cab driver who takes her to the fun house. Bones is supposed to watch over Frankie while Billy is at work; his failures to do that cause substantial trouble.Resolution: Law of the jungle crossed with politics of scarcity yields a dreary downward spiral. Is there any upside possible?

Flamiingo Watching this film left me with a different taste than most films I've been consuming throughout the years. It got me thinking, Why did I like it so much - even though the plot wasn't too clear, narrative was broken, fantasy and reality didn't blend together too well.. But still, it had this emotional great impact on me.Made me think of the beginning.. the early age of this great medium - the cinema. Back then, crowd will go to films for the attraction, for the stimulation of senses. No body gave a f*** about plot, it was all so new and fresh - ppl came to see images running one after another, to see fast motion, to see slow motion, to see the main character shooting a gun towards the camera. Story wasn't everything, but less than the main attraction - which was this wonder of cinema itself.Suddenly it got me - this film managed to give me sensory experience - from the brilliant work of audio-visual relations. It manage to form these strong imagery combined with stunning soundtrack, that leaves such a strong impact, excitement, understanding of the medium powers. I don't think that people who didn't like the film are lacking artistic taste, or leaning too much on reason and can't play along with indie experimental cinema. I don't think it's true cause I saw plenty of these so called "artistic" films, who put efforts on style but doesn't give a crap about their audiences. I know what ppl mean when they talking about lame films who hide behind artistic masks cause their films are empty and boring. But I have to say that's simply not the case in Gosling film.I don't think u will enjoy it more if ur a cinema student or whatever. I just think that if u'll manage to let the imagery take over u, without being too hard on plot or narrative, nor hating it immediately cause u'll identify it with those annoying "artistic" films - U will carry along with it, to a world of attractions, where image and sound meet to form strong impact on us as spectators. To stimulate our senses. This review has been written almost as a defensive line in court, but due to critics and score, got me thinking what a waste it is, this beautiful piece who goes almost unnoticed for its special, maybe even ahead of its time, imagery. I wish Gosling will keep developing his directive side as i see the huge potential this guy have. That being said (and hopefully understood), I found the plot interesting. Well acted by the characters, and decent directing by Ryan who manage (in my eyes) to form his own cinematic language (even though everyone was mentioning mainly the influences). Bottom line, obviously, its a fantastic film, if u let it take over and devoted urself to. Keep up the good stuff Ryan.