The Neon Demon Review – Chilling Perfection

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Category: Film

Published on Wednesday, 22 June 2016 20:36

Written by Janet Walker

The Neon Demon, from Broadgreen Pictures and Amazon Studios, present a chilling tale, in modern film noir, of life inside creative pursuit circles, where beauty is the only currency and career is on life support before twenty.

Directed and written by Nicolas Winding Refn, The Neon Demon stars Elle Fanning, Christina Hendricks, Abbey Lee, Jena Malone, Keanu Reeves, Bella Heathcote, Karl Glusman and Desmond Harrington. The Neon Demon is co-written by Mary Laws and Polly Stenham.

The Neon Demon opens with beauty, a shimmering waterfall of neon sequin sparkles, gold, purples, mesmerizing, pulling you into the film, with a tantalizing waterfall of iridescent, glittering flecks, dazzling moments.

Set in Los Angeles, we meet Jesse, played by Elle Fanning, a new-in-town modeling hopeful covered in fake blood, lying on a sofa, in a photo shoot. She personifies the expertise of a seasoned model. So much so one doesn’t know if the filmmaker has decided to begin with an ending as sometimes happens in film.

But soon as the camera pans the stillness we see the photographer Dean, played by Karl Glusman, fixated on her shooting the morbid scene.  When the shoot is over she is washing the blood off when we meet Ruby, played by Jena Malone, a makeup artist who specializes in the macabre and morbid. She is also infatuated with fresh, beautiful, stunning and new-in-town, Jesse.

Within minutes after Ruby offers the invitation to some Hollywood Hills party Jesse accepts. Soon she's meeting the lionesses of the jungle, Gigi played by Bella Heathcote, a model who hasn’t worked in ten months, and Sarah, played by model and actress Abbey Lee, who announces her own idea of perfection includes the frequent and adorning visits to her Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon.

Retreating to the ladies room the three cats survey Jesse, each eyeing her with the same ferociousness of the prey and the make or break question arises, lesbian or hetero? As it is not that blatant, the girls use masked terms coquettish slang hoping to playfully decide if the evening will evolve into a foursome or will the felines go home alone.

Gigi, however, tried of the cat and mouse game and with no real investment in bedding the new girl in town returns to the party to see Jack, a famous fashion photographer, played by Desmond Harrington.

We’re introduced to Keanu Reeves, the sleaze dive motel proprietor Hank, as Jesse makes her way back to the Pasadena where she is staying. Still new-in-town, she has found a knight in tarnished armor in Dean and she keeps him as close as she needs. The two make a rarely realized pact, she’ll introduce him and he’ll photograph her. As she is stunning, when he finds out she has just turned 15 she decides the pact is the best option.

Jesse is picked up by Jan, played by Christina Hendricks, the proprietor of the most sought after modeling agency in L.A. She is as enthralled with Jesse as everyone and sends her to Jack.

After the photo session with Jack, Jesse’s modeling career is hers to destroy. Soon she is auditioning for Fashion Week where she is judged side by side with her two unknown nemeses, Gigi and Sarah. As Jesse walks for the Fashion Designer, played by Alessandro Nivola, we see others can sniff out 15 and have never been.

The feigned affection is over as Jesse is chosen, Gigi out and Sarah on the edge. There is nothing left and with no connections, contacts, family or true friends who are checking in on her, no support system, Jesse is ripe for termination.

Modeling, or any creative pursuit, is not the easiest brick wall to blast through and as everyone who couldn’t and settled for something close that keeps them in the game envies those with the determination to keep going it becomes frightening. Hollywood and creative pursuits, are an all-in game, and you either invest fully or settle for less.

The Neon Demon is perfection in filmmaking. The storyline couldn't be closer to the truisms of life inside the creative pursuits circles. It has a noir feel mixed with flair and style in depicting the loneliness of pursuit and the hatred, killing jealousy, of new-in-town, the worst nightmare for those balanced precariously on the pinnacle.  

Nicolas Winding Refn brings to the screen a magnificent and startling depiction of life in industries where competition is the pursuit, the need, the art. It is the most dangerous game and it is the only thing.

Whether it be creative as in The Neon Demon or Wall Street, legal or finance, the competition for the prize, to retain beauty, to be singled out, awarded, honored, adored, the drive, craving, a bloodthirsty passion, Winding Refn, has managed to present it with beauty, gorgeous colors, shimmering, inviting mesmerizing enticement.

Keanu Reeves portrays sleaze expertly and leaves the audience guessing as to his real role. Is evil so pervasive that one will risk everything?

The women, Abbey Lee, Jena Malone and Bella Heathcote are captivating and give across the board outstanding performances. Each have a single moment, separate from the trio that stands out. They are each phenomenal.

The one through line, it seems, is that after sometime in the industry, all have lost any sense of morality, not a sexual side of morality, but simply principals, integrity, decency, ethics. The pursuit isn’t even fame or money. The pursuit is being, having the influence that moves power and aligns desire in your direction. Fame is an offshoot, but the knowing, I guess, is the ultimate power.

Jesse is a grown up role for Elle Fanning, she handles the challenges well. Her character crosses from the innocent, which her career and friendships choices don’t allow her to maintain and the truth of life in neon.  She gives a extraordinary, astonishing, performance.

The entire cast portrayed the characters with such authenticity it was chilling. The Neon Demon is dramatic, honest and terrifyingly truthful. 

A must see film! The Neon Demon opens June 24, 2016 in select cities. Check your local listings.