It's been a boring summer. I mean really boring. Independence Day… Tarzan… Some Marvel films I can't even remember the name of…. Nobody seems interested in making either a statement or an effort. It is against this kind of background that the provocateurs really shine – any film that has something unusual to say, whether you enjoy it or not, feels like an oasis in the cinematic desert. Step forward shameless stylist Nicolas Winding Refn – a man who is so confident in his own abilities that he has made his name into a Yves Saint Laurent-style logo for the credits of his new film. But then who can blame him – The Neon Demon is a bravura piece of filmmaking from NWR, wonderfully grotesque and utterly incorrigible.
Elle Fanning stars as Jesse, a young girl who has just arrived in Los Angeles with the dream of being a model. She is taken under the wing of make-up artist Ruby (Jena Malone) and two more established models Sarah (Abbey Lee) and Gigi (Bella Heathcote). While Ruby seems to have genuine affection for Jesse, Sarah and Gigi are clearly jealous of the attention she begins to get as Jesse is signed by an agency and is suddenly the next big thing. Jealousy and lust breed bad feelings within their little group and things quickly get very bloody indeed.
I'm going to be honest here – I loved this film unreservedly despite the fact that I can see all of its flaws. Is it shallow? Yes. Are its observations on life in the fashion industry cliche? Yes. Is it style over substance? Absolutely. But all of these things are the very reasons for its existence. The shallow characterisation and deliberately faltering dialogue are the perfect companions to the fashion photography aesthetic that dominates the film. NWR has taken the style of David La Chapelle and brought it to life. It is as gloriously artificial and ravishing as one would expect.
The horror elements that were met with both boos and applause at Cannes are wonderfully entertaining when they happen. If you've seen a significant amount of horror or schlock cinema nothing here will particularly shock you but if you have a taste for black humour, it will tickle you pink. The overall effect is intoxicating, both in its visual beauty and its joyful naughtiness.