Watch My Life Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn
- PG-13
- 2015
- 58 min
-
6.5 (1,615)
My Life Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn is a 2014 documentary film directed by Liv Corfixen about her husband Nicolas Winding Refn, the acclaimed Danish film director, as he journeys through the production of his critically acclaimed and controversial 2013 film Only God Forgives. Liv Corfixen, a Danish actress and filmmaker in her own right, uses this documentary to achieve an intimate and personal examination of the pressures, ambitions, and anxieties that come with the film-making process. With a distinctive mix of sincerity, humor, and introspection, she provides an insider's look into the psyche of a director who is always pushing himself beyond his limits, an artist who is constantly struggling to find his voice in the face of critics and his own fears, and a husband and father who is desperately trying to balance his career with his family life.
The film opens with the family - Refn, Corfixen, and their two daughters - leaving Denmark and their comfortable life behind to head to Bangkok, Thailand, where Refn is preparing to shoot his latest film. From the very first moment, viewers can feel the excitement, uncertainty, and urgency of the project, which is described by Refn as "a fever dream of a movie."
As Refn begins to work, Corfixen sets out to document every aspect of the process, from the early auditions and rehearsals to the final days of shooting. Throughout, she captures the tension and drama that accompanies Refn's creative process, as he struggles with script rewrites, casting decisions, and the pressure to live up to his previous success.
But Corfixen also reveals a more personal side of Refn, one that is often hidden behind the aura of mystique that surrounds the director. She shows us the man behind the filmmaker, a husband and father who is constantly juggling his familial responsibilities with his desire to create something exceptional. We see Refn as he eases his anxiety by listening to music, talks about his fears with his wife, and even has tender moments with his daughters who visit him on set.
The film also provides some fascinating insights into Refn's working style and philosophy as a filmmaker. We see Refn passionately lecture his cast and crew on his obsession with camera movement and symmetry, and his belief that a film should be a sensory experience that evokes a visceral response from the viewer. He's constantly striving for perfection, driven by a need to make films that are not just entertaining, but that also challenge the audience and provoke thought.
As the film progresses, it becomes clear that Only God Forgives is a very personal project for Refn, with themes and images that reflect his own experiences and fascinations. Corfixen's documentary captures Refn's creative process in all its messy, unpredictable glory, and highlights the emotional toll that filmmaking can have on those who pursue it with equal parts passion and obsession.
The film is an engrossing look at the making of a controversial and divisive film, but it is also a touching and candid portrait of a marriage and a family that is trying to navigate the challenges of artistic ambition, cultural differences, and the pressures of show business. Through Corfixen's lens, we see Refn not just as a brilliant filmmaker, but also as a husband and father who is struggling to balance his work and family life with the demands of his art.
In the end, My Life Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn is a fascinating look at the creative process and the sacrifices that come with the pursuit of artistic greatness. It's an unflinching and honest tribute to the talent, ambition, and humanity of a remarkable filmmaker, and a beautiful celebration of the power of creativity and the importance of family.
My Life Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn is a 2015 documentary with a runtime of 58 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.5 and a MetaScore of 50.