Ryan Gosling might be the star of a million memes and have spawned the best Droste effect T-shirt ever. (The ‘Droste effect’ or mise en abyme is the clever term for when there’s an image and a smaller, identical version of that image is then repeated within the original image. Confused? What we mean is that T-shirt he wore of Macaulay Culkin wearing a T-shirt of him wearing a T-shirt ofMacaulayCulkin and so on.) Where were we? Oh yes, Ryan Gosling might be worth loads when he’s starring movies, after bringing in millions with Drive. However, his latest film hasn’t done very well at the Cannes film festival.
It might very well have something to do with the fact this is the first time the actor is on the other side of the camera, making his directorial debut with Lost River.
Featuring Christina Hendricks, his girlfriend Eva Mendes, Matt Smith and Saoirse Ronan, its star power seems to be the best thing about it, according to these reviews of the film, which is meant to be a slightly surreal look at a city that’s disappearing.
The Telegraph calls it ‘a film so mind-bogglingly pleased with itself that the words “five stars – a masterpiece – Ryan Gosling” might as well appear on the poster.’
TotalFilm said it ‘feels like a student film with an A-List cast’.
HitFix said, ‘If I’m being perfectly frank, if this movie was not made by Ryan Gosling, and if he wasn’t able to muscle up the incredible support system he has behind the camera and in front of it, I wouldn’t be writing this review, because Lost River wouldn't be playing here.’
The Metro was a bit more sympathetic, saying, ‘There’s promise here for sure but for now stick to the day job, Ryan.’
Just in case you want to see what the fuss is all about, here’s a teaser trailer of the film with *Doctor Who’*s Matt Smith in it.
Yeesh.
Still, maybe Gosling should console himself that he’s not the only Ryan to get a bit of a tarnishing at Cannes. Ryan Reynolds’ new thriller The Captive had audiences booing. It’s alleged that is why he skipped the film’s afterparty.
Oof. Some small consolation that he went out for dinner with wife Blake Lively. We’d definitely trade that for a crap film’s afterparty, wouldn't you?
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophwilkinson
Picture: Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.