Re: Copenhagen Cowboy [Refn]

2
Watched this last week. It's very short at only six episodes. Do not expect any kind of linear narrative that makes any sense. Refn and his team of writers went for total surrealism with this, sometimes making changes on set while filming, and let it take them where it wanted to go. There are three very loose story lines in this, with the first two episodes almost being self-contained and the remaining four very loosely tied together. Again, gone is any sense of linear story as in TOTDY. This show is simply meant to experience. The visual beauty of it draws you in. Refn trademarks aplenty here, from very long 360-degree takes to lingering staring and close-ups. I don't even really know how to describe it to you. After watching, I read Refn's description of it, and....sure man. Why not? If this somehow gets another season, I expect it to be even more off the rails just based on that ending and epilogue. There is some fine surreal comedy in the middle chunk, and some very excellent violence in this. Great soundtrack, as expected. But, again, this isn't going to be a water-cooler thing where people discuss the story, as there really isn't one. Just go with it. Extremely bizarre is easily the best way to describe this. If you are willing to just let go of any expectation of story and forget about trying to figure out what's happening, you should be rewarded by the visual beauty of this show. After TOTDY, where I decried Refn should only ever do episodic TV, this isn't exactly what I expected. I still feel that Refn excels with the slower pace afforded to him by episodic TV, but man is this obtuse. Absolutely zero likeable characters present, and no one should be able to relate to anything happening on screen. I'm not saying don't watch it - you absolutely should - just a very weird decision to do this as his next thing.