Don't let the Drive trailers fool you. Drive is not some nonstop action thriller in the vein of anything starring Vin Diesel. Instead, Drive is a truly intense, highly-stylized, modern film noir. It is as violent as it is beautiful, as quiet as it is hip, and well-acted as it is gorgeously shot on the streets of L.A. Drive might not the action movie for people who love Transformers. It doesn't come at you guns a'blazing—rather, it moves methodically and swiftly, moving steadily to a bloody denouement with a quiet force that will transfix you.
Read more after the jump!
Read more after the jump!
Drive kicks off in...well, overdrive. The film starts off with the unnamed Driver (Ryan Gosling) explaining to random criminals that they will get him for a 5 minute window, in which he will not carry a gun, but he will drive them from their heist. This opening sequence is a quick testament to how cool and collected Driver is and also sets the tone for the film as tensions mount while Driver evades the police with precision.
By night he's a getaway driver for hire, and by day he's a stuntman for B-movies, a mechanic at Shannon's (Bryan Cranston) garage, and a would-be race car driver for scary crime boss, Bernie (Albert Brooks). Whatever background, family, history, or personality Driver may have, we don't see any of it. But that's not to say there isn't emotion brewing under his cool facade. When he meets beautiful neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son Benicio, Driver feels the need to help them, protect them, and care for them. Just as Driver is embracing his love for Irene and Benicio, her husband, Standard, is released from prison, and just as quickly, street thugs are beating the shit out of Standard and threatening his wife and child. Driver steps in to help Standard pay back the bad men he owes, but, of course, the heist doesn't go quite as planned.
What does happen is a almost poetic juxtaposition of violence and style. And, believe me, it does get awfully violent, but everything is so beautifully crafted to create a film that's dazzling to watch. Gosling is pitch-perfect, carefully perfecting his gaze to really penetrate your own soul. His emotions may not be bubbling at the surface, but they're there, slowly simmering below. From the sound of his driving gloves crackling at the steering wheel to the pulsing soundtrack, the senses are truly engaged here. Drive is a work of art, but may be slightly too pretentious for those seeking an easier thrill.
The supporting characters help lend more easily accessible character development. Shannon has the most rapport with Driver and Bernie, and Cranston does a great job of building an almost father figure. Mulligan is fairly miscast as Irene. She doesn't quite have the look of a woman whose husband is in prison and had a child at 17. She's almost too frail and vulnerable. But that's not to say that we can't see what Driver sees in her. Plus, on a side note, Mulligan does have a top-notch American accent.
Brooks, on the other hand, is a delight. Shedding his goofy, neurotic comedy chops, he is downright scary, but in a softer sense. While his partner, Nino (Ron Perlman) is all screaming and shooting, Bernie is the type of man who will quietly stab you without blinking an eye. It's a great performance that could win Brooks an Oscar. Oh, yeah, and Mad Men's Christina Hendricks is here...but it's not really worth mentioning.
Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn has a reputation for creating smart violent films. Bronson, a film about the most dangerous man in the British prison system, is an intense film that grabs a hold of you and doesn't let go. Drive is definitely more stylish and benefits from a noir feel. It's a film with so many layers and nuances that you can't help but try to peel back them all back to examine, which is impressive for a film that on the surface is merely about a getaway driver.
--Darcie Duttweiler
By night he's a getaway driver for hire, and by day he's a stuntman for B-movies, a mechanic at Shannon's (Bryan Cranston) garage, and a would-be race car driver for scary crime boss, Bernie (Albert Brooks). Whatever background, family, history, or personality Driver may have, we don't see any of it. But that's not to say there isn't emotion brewing under his cool facade. When he meets beautiful neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son Benicio, Driver feels the need to help them, protect them, and care for them. Just as Driver is embracing his love for Irene and Benicio, her husband, Standard, is released from prison, and just as quickly, street thugs are beating the shit out of Standard and threatening his wife and child. Driver steps in to help Standard pay back the bad men he owes, but, of course, the heist doesn't go quite as planned.
What does happen is a almost poetic juxtaposition of violence and style. And, believe me, it does get awfully violent, but everything is so beautifully crafted to create a film that's dazzling to watch. Gosling is pitch-perfect, carefully perfecting his gaze to really penetrate your own soul. His emotions may not be bubbling at the surface, but they're there, slowly simmering below. From the sound of his driving gloves crackling at the steering wheel to the pulsing soundtrack, the senses are truly engaged here. Drive is a work of art, but may be slightly too pretentious for those seeking an easier thrill.
The supporting characters help lend more easily accessible character development. Shannon has the most rapport with Driver and Bernie, and Cranston does a great job of building an almost father figure. Mulligan is fairly miscast as Irene. She doesn't quite have the look of a woman whose husband is in prison and had a child at 17. She's almost too frail and vulnerable. But that's not to say that we can't see what Driver sees in her. Plus, on a side note, Mulligan does have a top-notch American accent.
Brooks, on the other hand, is a delight. Shedding his goofy, neurotic comedy chops, he is downright scary, but in a softer sense. While his partner, Nino (Ron Perlman) is all screaming and shooting, Bernie is the type of man who will quietly stab you without blinking an eye. It's a great performance that could win Brooks an Oscar. Oh, yeah, and Mad Men's Christina Hendricks is here...but it's not really worth mentioning.
Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn has a reputation for creating smart violent films. Bronson, a film about the most dangerous man in the British prison system, is an intense film that grabs a hold of you and doesn't let go. Drive is definitely more stylish and benefits from a noir feel. It's a film with so many layers and nuances that you can't help but try to peel back them all back to examine, which is impressive for a film that on the surface is merely about a getaway driver.
--Darcie Duttweiler
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