Copenhagen Cowboy

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 a hellish 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 cock 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.

The direction of photography does an excellent job with the lighting of the scenes .. Some of the viewers may find it to heavy for the eyes , too much neon , but this plays a role in these scenes...The evolving of the story of a young girl spinning round the ugly world of drugs and human trafficing , is slow , but on the other hand the emotions you get while watching the episodes fullfills the viewer.

I was too sceptic about starting the series , it is a sad story that comes from the darkest places of our world... As an amateur photographer i saw a lot of things coming out the viewfinder of the camera , pay attention to the static scenes , on a single face , or a wide plan with a lot of people ..like time freezes for a while.

It's weird and slow. Idk why someone would call this revolutionary, I'm assuming because of the weird shots and lighting but this has been done. I will say this could have been edited just a tiny bit tighter. I'm very patient when it comes to films I watch but even this had me tempted to fast forward at times. I'm all for atmosphere and playing of the tension and all the goods that come with that but there's an art to it and you missed the mark on several occasions on here to where it seems too drawn out (subjective). Okay now I got all the bad stuff out of the way let me tell you why it's worth your time. It's a beautifully shot piece of art. Lighting is great and always motivated by the scene. The acting is really well done and the story kept me guessing. Okay now for the real reason I'm here. I believe and could easily be wrong but I'd imagine he didn't just pick the title because it was cool. I think it's more a nod to the fact that this series is essentially a Modern take on a Western. Miu is essentially our out of town hero coming into town to save it from the evil. Now probably should finish the last two episodes before I get too far ahead of myself. But enjoyed the first 4. I'll recommend. And to.

It's great, and rare, to be presented with a TV show that leaves you wondering for hours and days afterwards if it's any good. This is something to be cherished, especially in an entertainment world chock full of formulaic drabness built on algorithms, fan service and commercialism.

Copenhagen Cowboy (a terrible title to be fair), even more than Refn's divisive Only God Forgives, is a death dream with a very loose narrative woven together with a smorgasbord of ideas and styles inspired by the mysticism and folklore from multiple cultures. It's a dizzying and head-scratching six episodes to which it's pointless to try to ascribe too much plot or even thematic analysis. Some will argue that there's just not enough going on to justify any sort of runtime longer than 90mins but the fact is that anyone who hates this is a series would hate it just as much as a movie.

It's at points breathtaking to behold, and utterly infuriating at others. The reliance on specific shots - static camera, 360-degree pans, slow zoom - is highly effective at points and annoying at others - but everything is calculated to build maximum tension and suspense, and serves to really bring the few scenes that aren't filmed in this way to the viewer's attention as being significant.

The technical brilliance in the direction, cinematography and score can't really be denied, even if it's not to your taste. Every actor is riveting, especially Angela Bundalovic who as the enigmatic Miu delivers a movingly minimalistic, affecting, and extraordinarily physical performance in spite of her diminutive size.

Love it or hate it, Copenhagen Cowboy is an experience. It's not style over substance - the substance is by and large the style itself, so if the style isn't for you then you'll certainly find yourself at sea. In coming to a conclusion of whether I liked it or not, I realised I could only think of a couple of people I'd recommend it to. And because those people are my favourite people who I trust the most, I figure it's something I definitely liked and enjoyed. Go make your own mind up...

This incoherent mini-series could easily have been a 90 minute movie and we wouldn't have missed any story elements. It would have been fast paced, but you wouldn't feel the urge to hit the fast-forward button, as I did.

There's a not a lot that make sense in 'Copenhagen Cowboy'. We are introduced to a wide array of characters who are somehow all connected and tied to the underworld, but most character arcs are left uncompleted. In the center of it all there's the emotionless protagonist with zero chemistry.

It's a shame that NWR focuses more on cool-looking neonlit shots, and slow moving 360 degree pans than telling an engaging story, because I prefer substance over style. Style should be the icing on the cake and serve the story, not the opposite.