Only God Forgives (2013) will remind many viewers of Drive (2011), and some of Valhalla Rising (2009). All three are directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and you can definitely see his signature style in all these films. I personally really like his work, but reviews are mixed for this particular film. This is no surprise because the film is not the typical Hollywood blockbuster, so many people are likely to watch it with different expectations.

Fans of movies made by Gaspar Noé will appreciate this movie. in fact, Noé visited the film set and he's being thanked in the credits. Nicolas Winding Refn was clearly inspired by Noé's work. In addition, he dedicated the film to Alejandro Jodorowsky, whose work has always beeb ahead of his time and deeper in meaning than many his fellow directors, writers and producers. The point of this whole movie trivia bit is to show the kind of movie this is, to give it a bit of lineage if I can call it that. It's not your typical date night movie by a long shot.

Out of the three, Only God Forgives seems to get the worst reputation. However, I really liked this movie and I believe it has a meditative quality, not in the sense that it relaxes you, but in the sense that you can watch it more than once and each time you can try to see deeper into the details. There are a few elements that stand out when I watch this movie: the unknown history of the characters, the silence, and the tension.

Who are These People?

The movie begins with a murder and we realize quickly that Ryan Gosling's character, Julian, and his brother Billy are criminals, using a Thai boxing club as a front while their real business is illegal. We never get too much detail of the real business other than it has to do with drug smuggling. We get the sense that Julian is an unwilling criminal, that he does not really love the life of crime. There's a sense of reluctance to what he does.

On the other side of the rink we have the local police force and Chang. I don't want to call Chang the “hero” of the film because his methods are questionable, but he's the closest thing we have to one. His aim is to restore order, and he's successful. All this sounds very generic, and as you can see there is not too much detail given. The viewer has to use the power of imagination to fill in the gaps or infer meaning. For example, Chang does not wear a uniform, and yet the other officers respect him implicitly. Is he retired? Is he not really a police officer? How come he carries a sword? He's a frightening figure to all that cross him and the sense of unknown and mystery surrounding Chang makes him even more impressive. Consequently, we get this tremendous contrast between the imposing figure of Chang who calmly restores order without mercy, and Julian, who is not a very good criminal and who can only evoke pity in the viewer.

Silent but Deadly

There isn't much dialogue in Only God Forgives. That's why we learn little about the back story or the characters aside from what we witness on screen through their actions. The silence is especially effective juxtaposed with the musical sequences. While Chang does not speak much, he does sing! There are two scenes where he is singing in a restaurant to an enthralled audience. This gives Chang a very human trait and it contrasts greatly with his violent methods. It's so interesting seeing this mysterious agent dish out justice with his sword one moment, and singing a ballad the next.

Julian is pretty quiet too, but in his case I took the silence to signify more of an inability to assert himself or to make a stand. He seems to patiently accept what others tell him and when he does reach his limit, he takes it out on the wrong people. And yet, I can't help but feel a little bad for him. When it's time for specific decisions, he shows mercy, twice, in spite of his criminal duties.

Overall, the silence allows the viewers to take in the beautiful visual style of the movie. Neon lights and the backdrop of Bangkok, interesting angles and scenes, intense close ups that let you sense what the characters are thinking and feeling. You just have to experience the movie rather than simply watch it to see what happens at the end.

I Can Feel it Coming in the Air Tonight

The tension in this movie is what really stays with you even after it ends. The tension is tangible, partly due to the minimal dialogue, and partly due to the foreshadowing that keeps popping up in various scenes. The combination creates a sense of foreboding. You just feel something bad is about to happen. Everyone on the screen is on the edge, especially the criminals, but less so Chang. In fact, Chang's calm sense of control is like an anchor amidst all the tension. You just know that nothing can stop Chang: he is a force of nature; not a wild tornado, but more of a slow steady snowfall that will eventually bury everyone. All they can do is pray for mercy, but as the movie title tells us, only God forgives.

Thank you for reading! #review

©️ Razvan Ungureanu

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If you are familiar with Apple, you know they don't release new apps very often, and when they do they integrate them well with the rest of the Apple ecosystem. Journal is no different. Apple wants to encourage people to focus on wellbeing, and journaling is a good way to become more mindful and to gain an outlet for your thoughts and feelings. With new year's resolutions, the launch of Journal was timed perfectly for anyone looking to give this practice a shot in 2024.

The Good

Journal is integrated well with the rest of the Apple ecosystem. What this means is that, if you allow it, it will suggest activities or items from other apps that you can use as a source of inspiration for your journaling habit. Took a cool photo? You can write about it. Did a good workout? It's there for you to add to your journal. In effect, this helps fight writer's block. If you're new to journaling, it's not unusual to have the desire to create the habit, but to feel that you might not have something good to write about. The nice thing about these suggestions is that it will help you pick something – big or small – and not have to worry about having inspiration.

If you're already a seasoned journal writer, you can choose not to give the app access to your data, and you can start with a blank page every time. I really appreciate this option because I prefer not to give apps too much permission to my data.

The Bad

While Journal is great for newcomers to the practice, I don't think it brings anything new to seasoned writers. For one, maybe you write in a notebook. Maybe the thought of an electronic, app-based journal turns you off right away. This app is useless to you!

Maybe you already use an app, as there are many great journal apps out there. This app is once again useless because it does not let you import your data from other apps. You would have to break up with your current journal app. I personally use Day One, a journal app that has had an iOS and MacOS app for many, many years. It offers more features than Apple's app, so I won't be switching anytime soon.

Lastly, adopting Apple's Journal app will not be great if you ever switch to Android. At least for now, it is only available on iOS as far as I know.

The Hmm

I am from a generation that grew up with pen and paper. The digital journal seems a bit off to me, even though I do use one. Such a personal practice should not need an app or a device. However, life gets busy and these devices are part of life now. I like being able to attach a cool photo I took to my day's journal entry. I like getting notifications that show me what I wrote about 1, 2, 3 years ago. It's kind of nice when my own content becomes a source of joy, as opposed to social media where some algorithm bombards you with what it thinks should give you joy. That's why I am not on Facebook, Instagram, etc. I refuse to let algorithms steal my time.

Part of me wants to switch to a paper journal and reduce my screen time even further. But part of me also knows that most days are busy, and sitting down with pen and paper might simply not happen. You might say, “just make it happen instead of the typing into the app!”, which is a fair point. I think I just like attaching the photos and rating each entry with how I felt that day. In the long run, even when I had a bad day, I can look at my stats and see that, in a given year, there are far more good days than bad days, and that makes me feel good. In other words, the Day One journal app serves more functions than just recording my thoughts. I don't feel too bad using it, because I quit all the big social media platforms a few years ago, so it's not a big source of screen time. There are no ads, and no algorithm, so I also feel like my data privacy is respected.

I think Journal apps are an example of positive technology, where the tech enhances he habit without handing it over to someone like Meta or Google who would just use your data for their own financial gains. A journal app is a good first step into this positive habit. It's a low effort way to see if you like it. You can always switch to a paper journal later, or to a self-hosted web journal or blog if you prefer independence from a particular app.

The How

If you're new to journaling, there are many ways to do it, but I'll suggest an easy method that works well for many. You can simply think of what went well today. It doesn't have to be big. It can be very small. This kind of journaling helps create positivity. If you are like me, you might first think of what was frustrating during the day. The journal could turn into a rant about how upset you are at the world. That's ok too! The journal can be an outlet for your angry thoughts. But I chose to use journaling as a wellness tool. It takes some effort to be positive these days, with all the bad things happening in the world. So, I pick 3-5 small things that went well today, and try to write them in my journal in the evening. This will wrap up my day in a positive manner. For example:

• There was no traffic jam during my commute. Nice!
• I had a nice chat with Bob at lunch. He told me about his cats.
• I was busy with work all day, but I felt that I got a lot done.

As you can see, journaling can be as easy as listing 3 positive things every day. Whether or not you choose to use an app for it, journaling is a positive habit, and the longer you do it, the better it gets, and the more it becomes part of your day.

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#opinion #review

©️ Razvan Ungureanu

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