After roughly 20 years in Hollywood as an actor, Ryan Gosling debuted his highly-anticipated first project at the helm at the Cannes Film Festival today with Lost River. However, the first reviews have been less-than stellar.
The film stars Gosling's Drive co-star Christina Hendricks, as well as Matt Smith, Saoirse Ronan, and Eva Mendes. The movie tells the tale of a single mother and her son living in destitute Detroit.
Wesley Morris of Grantland tweeted, “If a $200 haircut and $900 shades were given lots of money to defecate on Detroit, the result would be Ryan Gosling’s directing debut.”
"Gosling's LOST RIVER a first-rate folie de grandeur. Echoes of Argento, Korine, Lynch, Malick in a tedious allegory of Detroit as ghost town," tweeted Variety's Scott Foundas.
Even Indiewire's Oliver Lyttleton, who attempted to find some good from in his review, concluded, "The film is ultimately kind of juvenile and dumb, and there are more moments where you'll roll your eyes rather than inwardly applauding."
Lost River has yet to receive a release date. However, here's a clip from the film: