Copenhagen Cowboy

I Loved it, already watched the last episode twice and started the series again which has opened more doors to the mystery threaded through it's self, a very enjoyable puzzle. I feel Refn completely reached a Tarkovsky level of atmosphere where the film not only makes you feel it, it speaks too and I teared up a few times. (and the nod to The Sacrifice was sweet, cause it's true, sleeping next to a witch can do all sorts of things) 1 scene in-particular probably laughed at by most initially, the scene with the dealer and the addict was by itself one of the most touchingly honest and sad and beautiful things I have ever seen, the next scene moved in and there was Refn and I laughed out loud in exclamation and had to pause it so I could rewind the scene before and watched it again... that was power and that scene after is an even sicker sadder truth. I hope this is only a prelude, a prologue, the beginning... for I myself know the world is even weirder than we deny. (I watched a woman eyes turn black among other things I wished that hadn't happened happened but accept as well, that did.) So it so awesome to see the last episode unfold like it did. The last few minutes almost a sneak peak. I have questions that I'm have thoughts on the answers... 1. What a trick on Miu! A line from Tom Waits' "Ninth and Hennipen"-"takes on the dreams of the ones that have slept there"

The first two episodes require patience, however once you are into the story Copenhagen cowboy is something new and engaging. The colours and scenery are beautiful in a harsh environment. It's slow - sometimes very slow - but once you enter the meditative state it makes perfect sense. It's also a huge contrast between the main role - an alien like altruistic girl vs killers, gangsters and hedonists. Copenhagen cowboy do have som references to films like Hannibal (brutality and pigs eating people dead or alive), Drive (colours, music and scenery) and David Lynch in general, including the ufo theme from the last tween peaks series. That said, this series adds something new to the table and is a positive surprise. Netflix really tries to be creative and innovative. Kudos.

Copenhagen Cowboy may be one of the most plodding shows ever put on Netflix, but as per usual for Nicolas Winding Refn (presenting his first Danish-speaking project since the Pusher films), there are both mystical and purely visual aspects to keep you transfixed. As I noted in my review of Too Old to Die Young, this is not a director who simply points the lights and cameras at the actors and hits "record". This is a director who knows how to make a significant prop glow red in an otherwise purple frame; one who plans his outdoor shots so that the twilight has just the right shade and intensity; one who knows how to frame his actors so that the kaleidoscopic city behind them seems both dead and alive at the same time... Even among other directors who fancy neon-drenched '80s nostalgia and Neo-noir ambiance, Refn sticks out as an especially deliberate filmmaker. What makes Copenhagen Cowboy particularly interesting is that it plays like an atonement for the directors' past machismo narratives (unintentionally or not, his various Gosling characters have become "Sigma Male" icons) and lack of female representation. Doubly fascinating is the lead herself, Angela Bundalovic as the mysterious and possibly undead Miu, who Jasper Rees (writing for The Telegraph) described as "an unsexualized androgyne exuding an enigmatic potency", and that, at every other turn, the camera seems to be trying to gaze into her soul -- to figure out just who or what she is. His reading is that she may be a vampire, a sprite, or some sort of angel that (as she moves through the criminal underworld of Denmark, starting in a sex-slave den and ending up amongst corrupt lawyers and chauvinist millionaires) has been sent to avenge the female sex. He describes her enemies: "a Serbian pimp, a Chinese crime boss, a Danish lord of the manor who preaches the primal power of the * to his murderous son." I agree that Copenhagen Cowboy has a lot to chew on in terms of themes, even if the show as such can be a slog to watch. The boredom is, of course, alleviated by the visuals and music (and sometimes the humor, particularly when Refn himself appears and when Zlatko Buric converses with a celebrity guest I won't unveil here), but I understand if some viewers won't think it's worth it. As for my more local -- Scandinavian -- papers, it seems Refn's return to the Nordic region isn't cause for too much celebration; verdicts have ranged from "sluggish as syrup" to complaints that it's nightmarish, nasty, brutal, and whatever else. One blogger wrote, "I don't think I've ever seen so many horrible people of so many different genders and cultural backgrounds doing horrible things". Of course, to me, that's rather like complaining that there are cars in the Fast and the Furious films. There is one thing about Copenhagen Cowboy that unnerves me more than anything else, however, and it has to do with the pigs that keep appearing throughout the show. It's not that I have trouble figuring out the meaning of said hogs; what it is they either symbolize or poke fun at. Instead, my issue is this: A few years ago, I decided to use the GTA V "Director Mode" to create a short film in the style of Nicolas Winding Refn (complete with synth-heavy music from Drive, Only God Forgives, The Neon Demon, and his The Wicked Die Young album). It was named Butcher vs. Pig-Man and told the story of a pig who escaped from its farm and -- since "animals are people too" -- grew up into a vengeful pig-man, played by one of the player characters in a pig mask and speaking entirely in pig noises. And now, here's Nicolas Winding Refn, making a show that heavily features pigs and, yes, a pervy guy who speaks in pig squeals. I'm not saying Refn has seen my video (hardly anyone has), but this is a weirdly specific coincidence. I might've considered asking for royalties if the video wasn't full of unoriginal sh-t anyway.

This TV series is from the same guy that brought us 'Bronson' with Tom Hardy & 'Drive' with Ryan Goshling. He has build his own brand of creativity and that is what 'Copenhagen Cowboy' is all about. So if you are not an admirer of that style, you likely will not enjoy this TV show and find it boring. There is so much in all the elements. The visual, acting, dialogue, music, etc. The gangster characters could do with more depth and singularity. The mystery leads into each episode and I wanna see series 2 ASAP. There is so much detail in the story, seems like a hybrid of 'The Book of Enoch'. Good vs Evil, Multi Dimensions, spiritual hiarcy and so forth.

A fascinating production that requires some perseverance by the viewer. Be prepared for a very meticulously filmed story that takes some time to more or less fully understand. The pace is slow in every aspect: in dialogue, in plot development and in cinematography. Acting is very minimalistic and retained and melts beautifully with the way scenes are filmed. The story has as much importance as the visual experience. This series is definitely not for the impatient ones who expect an easy to swallow, quickly paced story. However, if you're ready to have some patience, are able to accept that not everything will ever become fully clear and are open to this kind of cinema, this may just be right for you. A gem in Netflix productions.

Lynch and Noe had a baby! I did watch the trailer and said" this is going to be something like into the void" (which I couldn't stand) Oh I need to add Aregento to the mix with the vivid colors. I watched Neon Demon yearsssss ago and did quite like it but it had normalcy mixed in with the weird. This was long camera shots of images, people sitting or standing still, utter silence all which was unbearable! I watched 2 episodes and fast forwarded thru all the still series of vignettes and had had it. Was sick of feeling and being lost in the void at that time. I'm going to read all the glowing reviews of the directors I mentioned above and I may continue and see if it gets any better. Unlike most I don't follow the masses to be cool. Not really a Lynch or Noe fan I like my films to be intelligent not simply works of photographic art!

Man... This is hard for me to admit I'm a huge NWF fan but I think he went too far with this one. Someone should've held him back a little bit the man clearly can't help himself... The premise here is interesting but by the second episode I couldn't with all the long shots. It looks good and I get what he's going for but atmosphere can only be used so many times before you tune out! Let me summarize this for NWF fans: Did you like drive? That's easy everyone liked drive so let's move on. Did you like the neon demon? If no then this is clearly not for you!... Otherwise for me: I liked it. Alright then did you like Only God Forgives?? If it's yes then congrats this is for you, you are a true believer. If you weren't a fan still give it a shot but I doubt you will last 2 episodes. As for the peasants out there: DO NOT EVEN BOTHER! My family said and I quote "well this is weird..." needless to say I watched the second episode alone before coming to the same conclusion. God bless you NWF but you need to get out of your head. Story and pace needs to be prioritized over style and introspection otherwise only snobs and artists show up and that would just be an absolute waste of your talent.

This is something the world is actually not ready for. This is so overwhelming, dense and transcendent that i am certain it will fail for as a series. It reminds of the impact Eyes Wide Shut had as it was released... Even now I guess just huge efforts and a lot of Rewatches reveal its groundbreaking way of telling a story. It is like a postmodern myth that will haunt us troughout the ages ... always above our heads, even above NWR own head. I am speechless, I am mesmerized, I am in trance, I am afraid, I am a witness of a quite cinematic revolution and im unbelievably thankful for that. Thank you.

Nicolas Winding Refn's latest mini-series, "Copenhagen Cowboy," is a visually striking but ultimately shallow and repetitive exploration of the criminal underworld in Copenhagen. The main character, Miu, is portrayed by Angela Bundalovic as a blank slate who is largely disconnected from the events happening around her, which can be exhausting for the viewer. The themes of man's base instincts and the comparison to animals are repeated throughout the series, but not fully explored. While the cinematography is impressive, the slow visual storytelling can be a drag. Overall, "Copenhagen Cowboy" fails to fully utilize its potential and falls short of Refn's usual style.

In a interview Refn mentioned the reason why he choose the title; Copenhagen Cowboy for his new series. He told the reporter; It sounded cool. And that just pretty much sums up Refns style as a filmmaker since the making of Drive. Nothing is motivated by the themes or the characters, everything is motivated by coolness. Extremely long panning shots (most of them absent of any motivation, they are just there because the shots look cool), every scene is bathed in either red or blue neon lights (or both), why? Because it is cool! Long pauses after every line of dialogue delivered by every actor, why? Because it is cool! Then you have the other usual Refn trademarks; short outburst of extreme violence, a Cliff Martinez synth score and a plot that centers around revenge. Refn hasn't developed as a filmmaker since 2011, and every movie and series he has made since then has been a repeat of what made him a breakout director in the first place. Also someone needs to tell Refn that he is not a screenwriter, his attempt at dialogue is written like someone who has never spoken to a human being before.