After a long and winding road, Ryan Gosling’s (Only God Forgives) directorial debut Lost River finally appears primed for its theatrical release. First came the news that Warner Bros. relented in shopping the film around to indie distributors and decided to give it limited run in the New York and L.A. markets this April. Now the film is also getting its first theatrical trailer to set up the upcoming release.
Lost River’s stacked line-up of actors features Christina Hendricks (Drive), Ben Mendelsohn (Black Sea), Saoirse Ronan (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Eva Mendes (The Place Beyond the Pines), and Matt Smith (TV’s Doctor Who). Even so, the film was panned by critics when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year, which may have had something to do with Warner Bros.’ struggles to sell it to an indie distributor.
The trailer for the film, although puzzling and fragmented, does offer an ambitious visual feel. One can also sense the influence of director Nicolas Winding Refn (who directed Gosling in Drive and Only God For gives) in not only some of the steadily paced tracking shots, but the rhythmic musical accompaniment for the trailer. So while the buzz isn’t too promising, perhaps there’s enough in the film’s visuals and pacing to promise brighter things for Gosling’s future directorial career.
Lost River follows Billy, who finds herself at the center of a seedy and mysterious underworld once her teenage son discovers a hidden road leading to an underwater town. Warner Bros. will release Lost River on April 10. The film will also be available Digital HD the same day.
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