There is a multitude of reasons why Nicolas Winding Refn will never be compared to someone like Aaron Sorkin or Quentin Tarantino. Honestly, you probably couldn’t find three more disparate filmmakers. And perhaps the most striking difference between Refn and those other writer-directors is in the dialogue. In the first clip from Refn’s upcoming Amazon series “Too Old to Die Young,” that has never been more clear.
In two minutes, Tarantino and Sorkin will likely have enough witty dialogue between characters to fill a short story. However, in the clip below, the characters in “Too Old to Die Young” barely say a word, with much of the emoting done in the silence between lines. And, boy, is there silence.
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Of course, that’s not a criticism of Refn in any way. Minimalism, specifically on the word count, has been a hallmark of the filmmaker’s work. In his most popular film, “Drive,” you can probably count the number of lines star Ryan Gosling has on two hands. But still, when you hear characters speak in a film (or apparently, TV series) by Refn, you know to pay attention because something important is about to happen.
And in the case of the clip below, a lot happens in two minutes, as Miles Teller’s character is trying to explain why he won’t kill a man over $8,000. “Too Old to Die Young” features Teller as a cop that doesn’t necessarily play by the rules. What exactly that means is still a mystery, but as seen in the clip and in the recent trailer, we know that the character is not afraid of using violence.
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“Too Old to Die Young” is set for a special screening at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, marking one of only a few times the French event has opened its doors to a TV project. But obviously, Cannes will make a rare exception for Refn.
“Too Old to Die Young” is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on June 14.
