Copenhagen Cowboy

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.

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...

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.

Fortunately, that means all 6 episodes of 'Copenhagen Cowboy' are gorgeous to behold even when the narrative is seemingly skimming the borders of interesting areas to explore (and subsequently explain).

Anyone familiar with the director's oeuvre will know what to expect, but he still manages to bring something fresh to each episode with trademark camera flair. Tracking shots and slow pans are good, and I particularly liked his use of the 360 degree camera; it stylishly captured conversations, environments, and specific events with a smoothness that lulled you into acceptance of the show's pacing.

I'm not sure I understood everything the story was trying to do, especially in the final episode where it took on more Lynchian dreamlike qualities with supernatural flourishes, but there was always good moments sprinkled throughout, and the visuals were never less than stunning. Neon-drenched might sound cliche, but it's apt for describing Winding Refn's affinity for lighting a scene with almost otherworldly bluish hues and moody reds. Combine this with a synth score that always seems to be evolving from episode to episode and it's hard not to become enraptured by the audiovisual experience on offer. It's a tidal wave of style, so just sit back and ride it, basically.

So the cinematography, soundtrack, and stately pace are all signature elements of the director, but what about the ultra-violence so common in his work? It's graphic on occasion, but nothing like we've seen before. However, the fight sequences, though brief, are great. The choreography is simple, elegant, and augmented by the sound design, while the characters fight almost robotically. It's different, but also effective, and suits the characters involved as they are all quite emotionally reserved. Plus that final fight in the finale is arguably one of the most stylish sequences I've seen for some time; the way the sound design is integrated and the way the lighting enhances the framing is glorious.

Overall, 'Copenhagen Cowboy' leaves its narrative wide open for a second season it probably won't get, which is a shame, because even though I didn't love this, there's much to like, and certainly room to improve. Nicolas Winding Refn shows off everything that makes him a uniquely stylish director in the industry, imbuing every frame with something entrancing to soak in and showing real quality with use of camera, and though the story needed more work, there's few series's out there that look and sound this good.

7/10.

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.