Ryan Gosling is a well-known Golden God these days, so it comes as a surprise that his film, “Only God Forgives”, was met not only with mixed reviews at Cannes this week, it was actually booed by the audience.

Gosling couldn’t attend the festival this year because of a commitment to “How To Catch A Monster”, which he’s directing right now in Detroit. Luckily, he wasn’t there to hear the bad reaction, because I’m willing to bet there’s nothing sadder than a sad Ryan Gosling.

“Can’t believe I’m not In Cannes,” Gosling wrote in a note to Cannes director Thierry Fremaux. “I was hoping to come but I’m on week three shooting my film in Detroit. Miss you all. Nicolas, my friend, we really are the same person in different dimensions. I’m sending you good vibrations.”

The movie is
described as a bloody noir, about a boxing club owner whose mother wants him to avenge his brother’s murder. It is directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, who paired up with Gosling for “Drive”. That film won him the Best Director prize in 2011. This year, he’s not having such luck. Some viewers said they were turned off by the graphic violence in the movie.

“Art is an act of violence,” Refn said. “Art is about penetration. … I approach things very much like a pornographer. It’s about what arouses me. And certain things turn me on more than other stuff, and I can’t supress that. … I have surely a fetish for violent emotion and violent images and I can’t explain where it comes from.”