Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 3:11PM Movie Review: 'Drive'
| Drive Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston
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I didn't expect to shell out a Five Abiding Dudes rating for my first movie review, but every aspect of Drive starring Ryan Gosling was simply amazing. Very seldom does a movie far exceed my lofty expectations for it like this one did. Everything from the cinematography and intense car chases to the soundtrack were masterfully executed in director Nicolas Winding Refn's film. However, it was the performances, specifically by Gosling and Albert Brooks that really fueled the heart and soul of Drive.
The opening scene introduces the Driver (Gosling) and what makes him the best wheelman around becomes immediately obvious. He escorts two masked robbers away from a heist, and with a radio scanner and some slick driving eludes the cops in pursuit not once but three times. His rule is he'll help you in the five minutes you're sitting in his car after a job, but once that time has expired, you're on your own.
Next we're introduced to the Driver's day job as a Hollywood stuntman, where his boss and friend (a former stuntman himself) Shannon (Bryan Cranston) helps him line up movie gigs, while also providing the wheelman with good wheels for the night jobs. The two also work as mechanics at Shannon's garage. Shannon is more or less the Driver's handler or manager, which leads him into a meeting with Bernie Rose (Brooks) a former film producer turned investor/gangster who Shannon previously drove for. The two convince Bernie and his ruthless business partner Nino (Ron Perlman) to invest in a stock car for the Driver to race for them.
We learn the Driver is a real lone wolf when he's not driving. He bumps into his lovely neighbor in the apartment elevator, but they don't speak. Later, fate brings them together as the Driver meets Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son Benicio (Kaden Leos) when their car breaks down, and the two hit it off. Just when the sparks are about to fly between them, Irene informs him that her husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) will be released from jail the following week.
The Driver chooses to distance himself from the family, until he sees Standard being beaten by thugs, who say they'll hurt Irene and the kid if Standard doesn't pay them. The Driver offers to help him pay off his debts by performing a heist, which unfortunately results in a setup that puts a bulls eye on the Driver's back. He sets out for revenge and reaches out to Shannon and Bernie to help him track down those responsible for the double cross.
The Driver is cool as a cucumber, until the setup flips a switch in him and Gosling's performance is accelerated by this intensity to get even and make things right. This sudden dramatic change in the character also affects the tone of the movie as well, increasing the suspense ten fold the rest of the way. This change enhances the performance of Brooks just as much as it does with Gosling, as we're exposed to the violent side of Bernie Rose that we only briefly hear about in the first half of the film. He becomes more of the ruthless psychopath we associate with Perlman's character, Nino during the rest of the movie. This leads to a dramatic final showdown between the Driver and Bernie Rose.
Another thing I appreciated about Drive was the limited amount of backstory for the characters. For instance, we learn most of our info about the Driver when Shannon explains to Irene how they met. Bernie Rose describes himself, Nino and his prior working relatioship with Shannon in a couple of sentences. The movie is all about what happens next instead of what went down in the past. Gosling is simply known as the Driver throughout the film.
Generally, with a film I enjoyed this much I can think of a past movie I loved to compare it to. In this case, I can't. The Driver stands alone. Honestly, I would best describe it as a slightly artsy independent film meets a gritty, Scorsese style action film.
I'm definitely interested in seeing any future Gosling and Refn collaborations, as Drive will end up in my collection once it's released on dvd. I assure all of the you, Drive is absolutely worthy of Five Abiding Dudes...Go see it.
My friend perfectly nailed it with his brief review, "To say it was intense is an understatment. To say it was a great movie is also an understatement."
Reader Comments (4)
im pumped
I hope to catch this one in the theaters. But my schedule is pretty full, so hopefully I don't get stuck waiting for it on DVD.
Saw it earlier today and I absolutely loved it. I was nervous going in because the people leaving the showing before mine hated the movie. I enjoyed it, especially how Gosling and Mulligan sparked. The two would say nothing and yet they said everything. Also, the 'shark' scene with Benecio is genius. That conversation stuck with me through out the film.
One new cinema is next to the offices of xlpharmacy, I would like to watch this movie in this place , I really like the performance of the main actor in his movies, excellent review, I am not sure but one friend gave as rate a 7.3