Ryan Gosling wanted to make an art film and, despite some dull patches, pretty much succeeded.

This is the kind of oddball midnight movie that could easily gain a cult following and there are delights to be had in the midst.

Lost River is a beautifully dressed minor effort, a movie in which all the muscle in the world can't transform the thin, thin script into something more.

Rather than making his own movie, Gosling has composed a messy love letter to countless others.

Given the talent assembled, the emptiness at its center only makes it feel like more of a waste. But it does look great, it does sound great (the score, by "Drive" soundtrack contributor Johnny Jewel, is one of the film's best elements), and can be fitfully interesting.