‘The Neon Demon’ movie review

“Beauty isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”  That is the mantra in Danish film director Nicolas Winding Refn’s latest thriller ‘The Neon Demon.’  It’s a cautionary tale on how Western culture is obsessed with the tall thin white myth of beauty.  Whether we like to admit it or not, supermodels set the bar for women as far as what is aesthetically appealing.  This obsession has been going on since the Ancient Greeks.  The effect of the media on young girls is well-documented and has led to eating disorders, low self-esteem and depression.  Maybe that is why every supermodel in Refn’s film looks emaciated, unhappy and terrified that they might be discarded at any moment for the next young fresh face.  It is a shocking and mesmerizing look at the exploitation of women in the modeling industry.

Los Angeles takes on a fairy tale quality where the skyline appears out of reach.  We all know about the allure of Tinseltown for young girls wanting to be the next Marilyn Monroe.  Similar to Naomi Watts in ‘Mulholland Drive,’ Elle Fanning’s Jesse comes to town as an ingénue seeking fame and fortune.  She resides in a sleazy Pasadena motel where the manager is played by a creepy Keanu Reeves (a menacing cameo role).  Although she has no experience in modeling and is only 16-years-old, Jesse signs with an agent (Christina Hendricks) who tells her to lie about her age at her first fashion shoot.  Soon thereafter all the predators come out of the woodwork from fashion photographers, designers and make-up artists enticed by the innocent girl.

At the photo shoot, make-up artist Ruby (Jena Malone) befriends and takes Jesse under her wing.  She invites her to a party in a warehouse.  It’s a dazzling experience with pulsating electronic music, vibrant colors and a hip LA crowd.  The cinematography by Natasha Braier and the music by Cliff Martinez are mind-blowing.  The sequence throbs and glows as the women move through the empty space and performance art.  When they make their way into a women’s bathroom, Ruby introduces Jesse to her so-called friends Gigi (Bella Heathcote) and Sarah (Abbey Lee).  You can see the jealousy on their faces as they meet her.  Lee is an actual supermodel and she plays the role flawlessly.  She looks at Jesse as a threat to her modeling career.  This is an industry where a supermodel’s shelf life expires in their twenties.

The way Refn shoots these scenes is hypnotic.  He co-wrote the screenplay with female scribes Mary Law and Polly Stenhaw.  The dialogue is like a self-parody and spoken by the actors like a Shakespearian play.  When a character speaks a line, they silently gaze at each other before responding.  It adds to the hypocrisy and superficial environment that Jesse now inhabits.  Remember, the director is making a grotesque statement about American culture’s obsession with cosmetic appearance.  “People see you and they notice,” Sarah whimpers to Jesse.  “I’m a ghost.”  The two supermodels talk about all of plastic surgery they’ve had done to enhance their appearance.  Sarah praises “Dr. Andrew” like a god responsible for preserving her youth and beauty in the cut-throat fashion world.  When they discover Jesse’s good-looks are all natural, their hatred for her intensifies.

As Jesse effortlessly rises to the top of the modeling industry, the film takes on a gothic vampire vibe.  There is a telling scene at an exclusive Hollywood hangout.  Jesse brings her date Dean (Karl Glusman) to meet up with a fashion designer (a very good Allesandro Nivola) and two other models.  The fashion designer and Dean proceed to have a debate about beauty.  Dean believes that it is the beauty from the inside that counts.  The fashion designer insists that “beauty is the highest currency we have” and makes one of his models stand up to point out her modified outward appearance.  When Dean feels insulted and wants to leave, Jesse stays behind.  Her transformation is complete.  She is one of them.  It’s a sobering moment.  Refn is making a point that we already know.  Jesse symbolizes young girls across the country willing to sell their souls for a chance at fame in Los Angeles.  We can identify with her dream since it has crossed all of our minds even for a brief moment.  What would it be like to be famous in Hollywood?  It’s why Hollywood is known as the land of broken dreams.

‘The Neon Demon’ is not for everyone.  It got booed at Cannes. There are some shocking scenes.  These are intentional by the auteur Refn.  He wants to lure you into this world and devour your soul like the women chasing their dreams.  Once Jesse reaches success, everyone wants to eat her alive.  Isn’t that the downside of fame?

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