Lost River (2014) ***

I blind bought Lost River (2014) just shy of five years ago when it was released on Blu-ray because of the cast and crew and because the trailer was intriguing. I didn't quite love the film then and I still don't now—in fact, I gave it a 1/2 star less this time. But it's one of those films that I can appreciate for what it attempted.

Ryan Gosling's directorial debut (with no follow-up, so far) is filled with ideas and striking visuals, but it's really thin on characterization and plot. That doesn't always bother me. Plenty of directors I love have been accused of the same, including ones that Gosling was clearly influenced by, like David Lynch and Nicolas Winding Refn. But those directors—and many others who make "art films"—usually manage to find more cohesion in their work. There's just too many ideas that don't get fully explored in LR and the mishmash of fairy tale, family drama, science fiction and surrealism never quite gels.

The cast is comprised of excellent actors—they just don't really have much to do. I desperately wish that the characters were more fleshed out and the stars were better utilized. Fortunately, Johnny Jewel's score and the songs used in the soundtrack are fantastic, featuring some of the best work that his label Italians Do It Better has put out. Jewel's band Chromatics supplies the "Love Theme" for the film. That track, along with the song "Tell Me", sung beautifully by star Saoirse Ronan (though frustratingly too short)—both in a stripped down version in the film and a lushly produced version on the soundtrack—calls to mind his hero Angelo Badalamenti's work.

Despite its faults, Lost River remains an intriguing tease of what Gosling is capable of with more focus. It's certainly interesting, it's just not captivating.