A respectful response to the people who thinks the director failed.

I must tell you that you are entitled to your opinion and I respect that, even among Gaspars own movies.

I personally feel the director is incredibly aware of what he's doing. I also feel he is a flavor that doesn't exist in the mainstream or even indie spectrum of films. I was riveted to this from start to finish. His movies are always x-rated and scary in that way that they're really misanthropic and melancholy. The world is not an inviting place in his movies. This will be repulsive to the average viewer, but to the select few tired of exactly everything else, this is what perfection looks like.

It makes me very uncomfortable in a good way. The music, the slow pacing. Everything breaks from the modern explosive trend with fast camera shots, cool music, Americanized cool guy dialogue etc.

It's not a competition here, because taste will always be taste. On the wrong day under the wrong circumstances I wouldn't like this movie either.

But this director knows what he's doing and he always makes me feel emotionally drained and challenged. The characters always feel weak and like they're ready to go out with a wimper.

That's more than what I can say for anything that follows the "Hero's Journey" recipe of movies, even R-rated or NC-17, and it's just my personal take on this right now. I can't get enough of Gaspars visions of descent into darkness. It will always be reserved for those masochistic moments when you want to see something that genuinely makes you feel bad.