Plot: Based on the novel by James Sallis, Drive follows the exploits of Driver (Ryan Gosling), a loner and stunt car man who moonlights as a getaway driver for heists. Driver's one reprieve from his isolated existence is his relationship with married neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son Benicio (Kaden Leos). When Irene's husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) returns from prison, Driver decides to help Standard do one final job to permanently get him out of the criminal life. However when the job goes bad Driver suddenly finds himself in the cross hairs of gangsters Nino (Ron Pearlman) and Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks). Before long Driver realizes that it will take all of his considerable skills, including a penchant for violence, to keep himself and the ones he cares about alive.
Review: I went into Drive with my curiosity seriously peaked. Every review I'd read, every person I talked to who'd seen the movie all pointed to one conclusion: Drive was the single most polarizing film of 2011. People loved it or hated it. There was no in-between.
I fall into the "loved it" category.
Drive is a brilliant film, artfully directed with a fantastic score and impressive acting performances. Director Nicolas Winding Refn crafts a gripping tale reminiscent of 80s action films. Drive stands out as a very neo-noir movie with many memorable slow motion and tracking shots that highlight various minutiae throughout the production. Refn shoots the film in an almost surrealistic manner with the violent scenes so detailed that "graphic" doesn't even scratch the surface. Heavy praise goes to cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel who helped bring Refn's vision to life.
What stands out about Drive (and is no doubt the impetus for its reception as a film) is how little dialogue there is in the movie. Drive isn't really about talking. It's about setting a mood and a tone that resonates. Hossein Amini's screenplay is very bold in that aspect, in that it dares to be quiet. In an industry that seems obsessed with filling every minute with noise, it's nice to see a film that succeeds in the silences.
I attribute Drive's overwhelming success to lead actor Ryan Gosling. Often times you see a film and you can imagine inserting any movie star into a particular role. Not so with Drive. I can't imagine anyone in this role but Gosling. He lends a stoicism and attitude to the role of Driver that I've rarely seen. Very rarely can an actor set the tone of a scene merely through facial expressions but Gosling does that consistently throughout Drive. His character sizzles with barely suppressed intensity. Driver is a guy who doesn't say much because he doesn't have to. You know where you stand at all times. I couldn't watch Gosling and not think of Steve McQueen. If there's ever a Steve McQueen biopic I can't imagine Gosling not being at the top of the list.
Driver's relationship with Irene and Benicio is warm and believable. Despite the lack of dialogue, Gosling and Mulligan convey a warmness if not necessarily a passion. Mulligan excels at playing the put upon wife in need of help. At the same time her character sometimes disappears in the shadow of Gosling. I also thought her husband's name, Standard, was kind of ridiculous. I know it's a movie called Drive, but come on.
What additionally impressed me about Drive was the fantastic chemistry between Gosling and Brooks as Driver and Bernie. From their initial introduction all the way to their final scenes, Brooks and Gosling light up the screen. In fact whenever Brooks is in any scene you can cut the tension with a knife. There's a malevolence about his character Bernie that lingers just beneath the surface. He's a guy that'll commit violence but only because it's what he has to do not because he revels in it. From this perspective the two characters are mirrors of each other. Each does what he has to do, it's just that the two have different moral codes. As much as I can't stand Albert Brooks (other than his contribution to "The Simpsons" I find him painfully unfunny) he was amazing in this film and absolutely got robbed of an Oscar nod.
If you're looking for a multi-layered, well acted film that reminds you of the great 80s actions films you enjoy, Drive is right up your alley.
My rating: 9/10
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