Movie Review/Interview: Nicolas Winding Refn & Liv Corfixen Talk ‘MY LIFE DIRECTED BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN’

Preston Barta // Editor

MY LIFE DIRECTED BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN | 58 min | Rated PG-13
Director: Liv Corfixen
Cast: Nicolas Winding Refn, Liv Corfixen, Ryan Gosling, Cliff Martinez, Kristin Scott Thomas and Alejandro Jodorowsky

After DRIVE (2011) expectations were sky high for Nicolas Winding Refn’s next film. Even though the director laid it on thick that his follow-up, ONLY GOD FORGIVES (2013), was not going to be the next DRIVE, or anything remotely like it, Refn fans still held onto hope. And as it turned out, ONLY GOD FORGIVES was far from what anybody expected, dividing audiences and critics alike.

In his heartbreaking yet substantial documentary titled MY LIFE DIRECTED BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN, directed by his wife (Liv Corfixen), we explore the director’s style, struggles, strengths and marriage, as he directs Ryan Gosling and his ONLY GOD FORGIVES cast.

MY LIFE was one of the strongest films on the Fantastic Fest bill last year. If you were like me and were a little bit let down by Refn’s ONLY GOD FORGIVES, MY LIFE may give you a newfound respect for ONLY GOD FORGIVES.

Fresh Fiction had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Refn and his wife at last year’s Fantastic Fest to discuss what makes love last through its ups and downs, the origins of the documentary and film style.

Our interview with Nicolas Winding Refn and his wife, Liv Corfixen:

0:06 | What makes love last
1:09 | The origins of the documentary
2:21 | Difference in story between DRIVE and ONLY GOD FORGIVES, justifying characters’ actions
4:18 | Critiquing others’ work in terms of style

MY LIFE DIRECTED BY NICOLAS WINDING REFN is available in select theaters and on VOD this Friday, February 27.

Related Articles:

• An interview with Kristin Scott Thomas on playing Ryan Gosling’s mommy in ONLY GOD FORGIVES – on NT Daily
• An interview with Nicolas Winding Refn on creating the world within ONLY GOD FORGIVES – on NT Daily