Lost River (2014)

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.