"One Critic called them European."

Rating: 8/10 (7 February 2014)

This one could be Called "European". It Bares Little Resemblance to Hollywood although it is Distinctively set in L.A. and even Our Anti-Hero has a Part Time Job as a Movie Stunt Man. But it Feels Foreign and that's a Good Thing. There is enough of that Other Stuff around that something as Different and Offbeat as this is always Welcome.
It Wears its Art House Pedigree on its Satin, Blood Soaked Sleeve and delivers a Neo-Noir that is Deliberate and Breathy. The Style is too Determined and Uncompromising to be anything Stateside. This is more Off Shore in the way it Hesitates Wordless Waiting around to Build Tension.
When the Violence Erupts it is Brutal and seems even more so because of all the Pauses and Slow Beat Tempo. Ryan Gosling, that Emote-Less Staring Star Fits quite Well in this Film because there is a Pace that is anything but Adrenaline Inducing or Nitro-Injected. Gosling's Catatonia Works because that's what the Script and Director Want.
It's not a Perfect Movie, the Music can be Pretensious, and there are a Few Clunks, mostly at the Very End, but the Fine Supporting Cast with Albert Brooks Unforgettable, make this just the Right Blend of Past Cinema Genres and Present Dangers.