Last year, Ryan Gosling completed his directorial debut Lost River and, just like most of the things Ryan Gosling does, it's a little bit odd and a little bit confusing. The film is screening at SXSW this weekend, a second chance at a premiere, after the not-so-warm welcome it received at Cannes

Ryan Gosling
Did Gosling turn things around at SXSW?

The film is also set for a theatrical and VOD release next month, so the freak-friendly atmosphere at South by Southwest Austin should be the perfect space to gather some more favourable reviews. Unfortunately for Gosling, even among the hipster, indie, counter-cultural crowd, his reputation apparently precedes him. 

At the movie panel, Gosling appeared in conversation with director Guillermo del Toro. Del Toro was quick to set a fairly serious tone to the panel. "The main drive for me," del Toro said in his opening remarks, "Is for you guys to have a context of the filmmaker and not the meme that says 'Hey Girl.' The film was made by the filmmaker." 

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The film, Gosling says, is in fact about a city in decline, despite its fairytale-like setting. Here's how the hatchling writer/director explained his concept, via Vanity Fair: "I thought I should make a film there. . .I thought I should make something not specifically about Detroit. It feels more universal than what's happening to Detroit and I thought a fairytale format might be the most interesting way to connect to that. . .How far into a fantasy can we go without taking it over the edge? It's easier for [the characters] to believe they live in a place evil spell as opposed to this economic fuckstorm."

Has it worked? While Cannes critics were at best confused by the story, we are yet to see the reviews coming out of SXSW. Meanwhile, Lost River is scheduled to premiere on April 10 in the UK and selected cinemas in the US.