My Rating:
Drive was one of my most anticipated movies of the summer and it didn't disappoint. However, with it's deliberate measured pacing and lack of Hollywood spectacle, Drive may not resonate with most movie-goers who may be expecting a movie in the vain of Transporter.
Drive can be summarized rather simply. The Driver (Ryan Gosling) is a stuntman by day and a wheel-man by night. After falling in love with his neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son Benicia, the Driver gets involved in a mob job that goes wrong and goes on a brutal revenge-filled rampage. Drive's story isn't anything new, it borrows elements from classic gangster and revenge movies. Drive is definitely a nod to the old school while still being something completely different.
At it's core, Drive is an art film not an action flick. Each frame of the movie is beautifully shot with extreme attention to lighting and composition. Drive is hands-down the most beautiful looking movie I've seen in awhile. Overlay a bumping 80's stye synth-pop soundtrack and this movie oozes with style. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV_3Dpw-BRY) Combined, these elements work well to create strong sense of atmosphere and emotional heft.
Gosling does a great job creating a character with depth while saying next to nothing. The Driver is a monster to be sure, but that monster is buried deep inside a stoic, quiet and strangely noble facade. It's only when that facade crumbles do we see the real Driver, and he is a brutal man to be sure.The full range of the Drivers emotions are captured beautifully in one elevator scene which is both romantic and gratuitously violent. It's that duality that makes the Driver such an interesting character.
Drive is an odd little film that a lot of movie-goers may not like because it isn't your typical Hollywood movie. That said, regardless of what mainstream movie-goers think, Drive is a fresh, lean movie with a lot of style. It deserves your attention.
Released: September 2011
Length: 1 hr 40 mins
Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn
Written by: Hossein Amini
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman
Rating: R
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