Kristin Scott Thomas – Only God Forgives
A couple of years ago with the release of Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive, everyone was buzzing with praise for the against type casting of Albert Brooks as the loquacious and dangerous gangster Bernie. In fact, it was somewhat of a surprise when he did not get a nomination as Best Supporting Actor. The same style of casting cropped up in Refn’s Only God Forgives, where Kristin Scott Thomas, renowned for her restrained, stiff upper lipped roles, turned in a performance quite unlike anything she has done before.
She plays Crystal, the domineering matriarch to Ryan Gosling’s Julian, a snarling, foul mouthed devil in Prada style figure that Thomas truly relishes. Thomas herself admitted that she was quite turned off by the brilliantly foul mouthed diatribes she had to deliver but ultimately it felt right for the character. In the role she is excellent, letting her hair down and seemingly venting off the steam not usually permitted by the kinds of roles she is given. In Refn’s twisted world she seems the most comfortable in her own skin despite the foulness of her character.
It is clearly the film’s showiest, most obvious performance but it is only heightened by the quietness of Julian and the chillingly still Inspector Chang. It is extraordinary that for all the attention seeking atmosphere, the ultra violence, the highly stylized visuals and throbbing score, that it is Thomas’ performance that stands above everything else.