The other is a late night extravaganza in Hollywood’s gloriously retro Cinerama Dome theater followed by a model-filled after party. He seems nearly glad that some people booed “The Neon Demon” in its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Refn, the man behind films like Bronson, Only God Forgives and Drive, delivers a haunting story about the nature of beauty itself, set against the backdrop of present day Los Angeles. Steven Klein shot the cover and photo spread, where Fanning channels the film’s character in a sheer black Preen dress and bright, colorful makeup, for a summer-meets-edgy contrast.
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On speaking to her co-star model Abby Lee Kershaw… I don’t know if it’s being a woman, but you’re taught not to answer that. And though his films have not always resonated or thrilled the ways he’s clearly intended them to, the cinematic worlds he’s created have always been built upon a healthy skepticism about how the world works, from its most celebrated enterprises down to its most insidious.
Elle Fanning is “killing it” with her hautness on her first solo fashion cover for V Magazine’s pre-fall issue.
“I kind of looked at her as this creature”, adds Fanning of Jesse. Traditionally minded horror fans may be thrown by the movie’s surreal sensibilities and lack of anything resembling an actual plot, but they do get to see one paper-thin model violently vomit up a human eyeball before another emaciated fashion victim makes it a low-cal snack, so there’s that. She even says it, and no one can touch her because of that not even the ravenously jealous models (Abbey Lee, Bella Heathcote) who try to cut her down. “My sister started first, so she went out with my mom to test it out”, Fanning tells the mag of her upbringing. “Elle is kind and sweet in real life, extremely fashion savvy, but the furthest thing from a diva, but then again, she is only 18”. I like her, but she’s risky, she’s scary. Then there are the blood- and glitter-soaked fashion shoots; a sleazy photographer (Desmond Harrington); an even sleazier designer (Alessandro Nivola); a suffer-no-fools makeup artist (Jena Malone), plus some necrophilia.
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Before Refn heads off to his Prada and premieres, though, he pauses to offer some advice: “Narcissism is a virtue”.
