The Neon Demon
- Thread starter Ange
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I am not one who is bothered by gore at all so I kind of liked it in terms of the cinematography, it is really gorgeous and almost seems like an editorial at times.
But as we SG's understand the fashion industry I know the situations are extremely exaggerated.
I was also very peeved at the casting of Elle Fanning, I just think she is so plain.
But as we SG's understand the fashion industry I know the situations are extremely exaggerated.
I was also very peeved at the casting of Elle Fanning, I just think she is so plain.
hey look at it this way, at least they didn't cast Gigi/Kendall/*insert family-connections-instagram-modull* . Even if she didn't quite look the part, Elle can act, so she's already 1 up.
i saw this movie last month and i also really loved the cinematography and how it was shot. abbey lee was gorgeous in the movie and did a great job acting. i watched it with my mom and she said twice i dont see whats so special or beautiful about elle fanning that they make out in the film. the whole movie was bizarre and i wasnt expecting the gore, i thought it would be more like a documentary on the model world, the way it was filmed reminded me of the movie spring breakers.
Haha! You are so right! If Gigi/Kendall were even in the movie for a second I would write the director an angry letter. I hope Abbey Lee had something to do with casting some actual models. I read that Nicolas Windyn Refn who directed it for some reason wanted Elle to play Jesse from the get go. I do think Elle played the character really well despite not really looking the part. I loved how every "compliment" she said sounded so disturbingly fake, it was so creepy to me!
I knew of this directors work beforehand so I expected something super morbid to happen. I just could not stop fixating on Elle Fanning so I kept thinking "Something weird better happen." I am noot going to lie it kind of made the movie for me.
I am currently watching it and I don't understand what is making me so uncomfortable. Never cringed so hard... The awkward panoramic scenes, the lighting during the whole movie, etc.
Why is this even considered horror?
Abbey would make a great vampire lol..
Why is this even considered horror?
Abbey would make a great vampire lol..
So I finally got around to watching this and disappointed would be the best word to describe my experience. The whole movie just felt.........underdeveloped. I never felt 'frightened' during the movie, just uncomfortable at times with the bad line deliveries from Elle Fanning. Necorophelia and bad lighting and music aren't my thing. Abbey did a good job though
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When I first went out the cinema I was a bit "wtf? Was this really supposed to be an horror movie?" Also I think Elle has a pretty decent body for being an actress but which crazy people would choose her despite Abbe Lee in a casting?
However, some declaration from the director Refn that makes me appreciate the film and understand it a bit more.
On the casting scene in The Neon Demon:
“I only kept Elle in close-ups because I wanted as much as possible to play on the imagination of what she would look like. The idea of beauty is difficult because it’s in the eye of the beholder. I always had to keep a sense of a hidden beauty, an illusion, that people essentially make up their own interpretation of what she may or may not look like.”
About the male-roles:
"Men have no place in the movie. The male characters were like the girlfriends of other films. They're plot devices. They're there to tell a certain part of the story mechanically. In the end, the film is all about women," Refn says, pointing out that the guys disappear about halfway through the movie. "They were no longer needed in the film, so I took them out."
About the pursuit of the film, in general:
"Art is not about good or bad guys. Those days are over…Film as an art form is about an experience…Creativity is about reactions, and “reactions” is the essence of an experience, the essence of an experience is planting thought. If you don’t react, what are you doing here, why would you waste your time here. There are so many other things in life that are worth doing than watching a movie or TV show just to consume time…Whatever you got, I’ll tear it down and give you something else instead. That’s an important thing…Integrity, take no prisoners–whatever you want to call it–don’t compromise in life or anything because that’s where you feel “life.”"
However, some declaration from the director Refn that makes me appreciate the film and understand it a bit more.
On the casting scene in The Neon Demon:
“I only kept Elle in close-ups because I wanted as much as possible to play on the imagination of what she would look like. The idea of beauty is difficult because it’s in the eye of the beholder. I always had to keep a sense of a hidden beauty, an illusion, that people essentially make up their own interpretation of what she may or may not look like.”
About the male-roles:
"Men have no place in the movie. The male characters were like the girlfriends of other films. They're plot devices. They're there to tell a certain part of the story mechanically. In the end, the film is all about women," Refn says, pointing out that the guys disappear about halfway through the movie. "They were no longer needed in the film, so I took them out."
About the pursuit of the film, in general:
"Art is not about good or bad guys. Those days are over…Film as an art form is about an experience…Creativity is about reactions, and “reactions” is the essence of an experience, the essence of an experience is planting thought. If you don’t react, what are you doing here, why would you waste your time here. There are so many other things in life that are worth doing than watching a movie or TV show just to consume time…Whatever you got, I’ll tear it down and give you something else instead. That’s an important thing…Integrity, take no prisoners–whatever you want to call it–don’t compromise in life or anything because that’s where you feel “life.”"
Visually it reminded me of Suspiria. I didn't finished the movie (stupid buffering) but it was okay, not something I would watch again but it was entretaining.
@Nymph Thanks for posting those explanations from Refn. I like his comparison of the men to girlfriends in other films; I hadn't really noticed there were only a handful of men in Neon Demon and that they were only there to move the plot rather than existing as more fully formed characters. I think I'll pay more attention to this dynamic in the future.
I really liked the visuals of this movie for the most part (the only good thing about this) but nearing the end everything got too ridiculous. I wish I could get those 2 hours of my life back 
So I just watched it last night... I was expecting something really intense/disturbing, but for me it just drifted between random and boring. I see what they were going for (some sort of Lynchian atmosphere and psychological tension) but in my opinion it fell really flat. I also found the dialogue quite cringey at times (I just felt glad I didn't coerce any of my friends into going to the cinema to watch this with me, I have enough of a reputation as a weirdo as it is).
Also, casting Elle Fanning for this role is just bizarre. Whenever she was side to side with Abbey they looked like completely different species of human. All the compliments people give her in the film about her supposedly amazing beauty sound from false ("is that your real nose?") to almost sarcastic - like when the agency director tells her "You are really fit" and she's sitting there looking completely soft and average and I was like are we looking at the same person?
Also, this might be a petty complain, but her lack of poise and overall mediocre posture was driving me insane through the whole film. Especially that forward head thing she does during the entire film:
Also, casting Elle Fanning for this role is just bizarre. Whenever she was side to side with Abbey they looked like completely different species of human. All the compliments people give her in the film about her supposedly amazing beauty sound from false ("is that your real nose?") to almost sarcastic - like when the agency director tells her "You are really fit" and she's sitting there looking completely soft and average and I was like are we looking at the same person?
Also, this might be a petty complain, but her lack of poise and overall mediocre posture was driving me insane through the whole film. Especially that forward head thing she does during the entire film:
So I just watched it last night... I was expecting something really intense/disturbing, but for me it just drifted between random and boring. I see what they were going for (some sort of Lynchian atmosphere and psychological tension) but in my opinion it fell really flat. I also found the dialogue quite cringey at times (I just felt glad I didn't coerce any of my friends into going to the cinema to watch this with me, I have enough of a reputation as a weirdo as it is).
Also, casting Elle Fanning for this role is just bizarre. Whenever she was side to side with Abbey they looked like completely different species of human. All the compliments people give her in the film about her supposedly amazing beauty sound from false ("is that your real nose?") to almost sarcastic - like when the agency director tells her "You are really fit" and she's sitting there looking completely soft and average and I was like are we looking at the same person?
Also, this might be a petty complain, but her lack of poise and overall mediocre posture was driving me insane through the whole film. Especially that forward head thing she does during the entire film:
I agree, it was annoying... and her acting was so bad in my opinion, they should cast a real model for her role.