Drive Review

Posted by Jeremy Wilson on 09.22.2011

Trust me when I say that however you feel about this film, you will want Ryan Gosling's scorpion jacket.

Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn
Written by: Hossein Amini
Based on the book Drive by: James Sallis

Drive: Ryan Gosling
Irene: Carey Mulligan
Shannon: Bryan Cranston
Bernie Rose: Albert Brooks
Standard: Oscar Isaac
Blanche: Christina Hendricks
Nino: Ron Perlman
Benicio: Kaden Leos
Tan Suit: Jeff Wolfe
Cook: James Biberi
Doc: Russ Tamblyn

Rated R for strong brutal bloody violence, language and some nudity.
Running Time: 100 minutes



*Needless to say, spoilers are contained within this review. If you don't want to know, read it later. If you don't care, read on.*

There are bound to be serious disagreements over Drive and I'm not entirely unconvinced both sides don't have valid points. Naysayers will argue that it is a film begging to be adored and admired, teeming with stylistic flairs and conscious affectations that play it up as an “important” film by an “important” director. It did, in fact, win Best Direction at this year's Cannes Film Festival and the vast majority of critics around the country are piling praise on the film and its director. They will say that hyper-stylized (yet a minimalistic, stripped down style ; wrap your head around that) gets in the way and that the violence is too graphic, undoing what the first half of the film is all about. They will argue that its art-house aesthetic is at odds with an advertising campaign that played up Ryan Gosling as hero and made it out to be something akin to Fast Five; action-packed with lots of chase scenes. For anyone who has seen it, they know this is not the case. For anyone expecting to see that, they are in for a surprise, one which may depend on what they want out of a film of this sort. Those naysayers have valid points. I just don't think I agree with them.

Drive is remarkably simple and starts out with one of the best openings you'll likely to see in film this year. With the beats of an '80's era soundtrack playing through the opening credits (and continuing through the rest of the film) the film opens over the bright lights of nighttime in downtown Los Angeles. Ryan Gosling, known only as The Driver, stands with his back to the camera looking out over the city, reciting his mantra (job description and overall philosophy for his character) over the phone: “If I drive for you, you give me a time and a place. I give you a five-minute window, anything happens in that five minutes and I'm yours no matter what. I don't sit in while you're running it down; I don't carry a gun... I drive.” And drive he does.

The Driver heads out into the L.A. night and acts as the getaway driver for a couple of thugs. He only carries a police scanner and an innate ability to drive. To spoil how he escapes the police closing in would be a disservice to those who wish to see it unspoiled, but it is remarkably clever and sets the perfect tone for the rest of the movie. As the rest of the film unfolds, The Driver befriends and becomes attached to a woman, Irene (Carey Mulligan), and her young son, Benicio (Kaden Leos), who live next door. Eventually Irene's husband and Benicio's father, Standard (Oscar Isaac), is released from prison, but almost immediately is attacked by former “associates.” They want him to pay the protection money he owes them by robbing a pawn shop, but he doesn't want to do it. The Driver agrees to help Standard pay off his debt by being the getaway driver for him and Blanche (Christina Hendricks) with the condition that Standard and his family will never be hassled again. Unfortunately, things go very wrong during the heist and The Driver is forced to scramble in an attempt to protect Irene, Benicio and himself from the unforeseen consequences and tragic mistakes that catapult Drive from a methodical, dark noir to a chaotic, violent action thriller.

You don't see a movie like Drive come along to multiplexes very often in this day and age. The Fast and the Furious and Days of Thunder this is not. Instead, what director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising) has delivered can best be described as a methodical, art-house action flick that is character driven and can be bracingly violent. Comparisons almost immediately jump to mind of Quentin Tarantino and David Cronenberg, Bullitt and The Driver, with Refn almost demanding them to be made. Refn brilliantly also builds his film's mood, tone, characters, in a way reminiscent of Michael Mann, hinting at the graphically violent outbursts to come. Refn makes us care about these characters; he seemingly directs with a pause button, holding onto shots for beat after beat, scenes that are demanding for both audiences and actors alike. Thankfully, his cast are up to the challenge.

Ryan Gosling shouldn't be under-the-radar at this point in his career – at least not after this performance. It is an extraordinary performance, one which will garner serious and justifiable Oscar consideration. Gosling conveys so much emotion and subtext to a character whose very nature is so enigmatic as to almost be without its own identity. The Driver has no name or background that we hear (other than how he met Shannon), his apartment is threadbare and his car(s) unassuming. Driver doesn't say much, so its up to Gosling's facial expressions and mannerisms to pick up the slack. Gosling instills in the character a range of qualities and emotions that run the gamut: cool, detached, unassuming, sweet, strong, angry, etc...In many ways it is a character and story that comes off as a 21st century samurai tale. The Driver is a hero (or anti-hero) for hire, but is an individual who follows their own personal code, even if it causes themselves more harm than good. I also couldn't help but be reminded of some of the most famous “cool guys” in Hollywood history while watching Gosling: Bogart, Newman, Dean, McQueen – flashes and hints are all there. Somehow though, Gosling makes The Driver his own.



As I said before, it is a compelling character. The Driver joins a group of Hollywood archetypes who have “no name” headlined by Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name. They are heroic figures who do unheroic deeds at times, doing the job better than anyone else, good guys or bad alike. Rarely, if ever, does he raise his voice. There is a scene early on when The Driver is sitting in a diner and an old client recognizes him. The guy strikes up a conversation and starts reminiscing about the heist they pulled awhile back. The flash of pure anger that Gosling arouses is striking, all the more so when in a calm, flat tone he tells the guy in no uncertain terms to get lost or he'll “kick his teeth down his throat.” It is a hint of the simmering violence and wrath in The Driver that is at odds with the humble mechanic persona he has at work, cool and effortless wheel man on his side jobs and nice-guy father/husband figure he displays with Irene and Benicio. You never get the sense he is playing a part or faking – these are all aspects of who he really is and ones which he never actively attempts to hide or promote. He is enigmatic in the extreme; yet, when things go wrong and the pressure starts to mount, those distinct traits begin to mold and become more apparent. Suddenly, the man who lives utterly in the moment without many cares has a purpose and he feels the growing weight of responsibility because of his new-found attachment (Irene and Benicio).

The violence in the film is often extreme and may put some people off; however, it is highly effective and fits into this world of crime. From throats being slit, to heads being blown off, the film is turned on its head towards the end, with violence begetting violence and touching nearly every character involved in the story. One of the more memorable scenes in the film is one in which The Driver and Irene are standing in an elevator with one of the henchmen sent after them. Gosling shields Irene, kisses her passionately and then proceeds to just destroy the henchman, stomping his head violently and continuously, blood spraying everywhere. Irene's reaction is our own; shock and disgust. Rarely before had we seen The Driver engage in that level of violence, except for the hints here and there (one is mentioned above). It is shocking and horrific but when The Driver later goes on his revenge-fueled rampage, it doesn't feel out of place anymore. My favorite scene in Drive is also its most bizarre; The Driver in a rather bland stunt mask stolen from the movie set he works on, stalking Nino (Ron Perlman), riding him off the road and slowly trailing him onto the beach, where another outburst of violence occurs. It is utterly strange, yet fits this character and film. The Driver has no distinct identity, prefers it that way, works jobs (both legal and illegal) where that is required and preferred. We discover that beneath the coolness and anger is a capacity for caring and love (even if he's never effusive about it) and when this is endangered, the proverbial volcano erupts. This is who he is and it represents something inside each and every one of us and Refn smartly lays that foundation earlier in the film. Granted, few ever commit the kinds of extreme violence that occur later in Drive but humanity is complex and love is a powerful motivating factor.

The rest of the cast are extraordinarily good with Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston and Albert Brooks really standing out. Mulligan treads a fine line as Gosling's love interest; she simultaneously feels the connection and attraction between the two of them along with the guilt and confusion when her husband comes home. She loves Standard and she loves their family, but it is a love born out of being knocked up at 17. Her connection with The Driver is palpable; sweet, more than sexual, it never becomes physical and The Driver's relationship with Benicio is as strong as it is with Irene. This is not a romance in the gooey sense; both The Driver and Irene have a vulnerability and loneliness that find a mirror of sorts in each other, helping spark a relationship even in the face of impending reality.

Bryan Cranston is sublime as The Driver's boss at the auto repair shop, as well as acting as a sort of father-figure for the younger guy. Cranston's portrayal carries just enough sleaze and charm as to make it completely believable that this is a man who could run a business, be charming while interacting with customers, as well as be involved in criminal enterprises large and small. He simultaneously supports and exploits his young charge, and he seems to know about as much about him as we do. Albert Brooks turns in one hell of a performance as the big villain of the film, a former movie producer turned criminal head honcho, Brooks drops the funny and becomes scary. This is a character and a performance that is ruthless and precise, the kind of guy that will smile at you and tell you a story while cutting your wrists and slitting your throat.

As I said before, some will not like Drive, with all its ambition and pretensions (as of this writing audiences gave it a CinemaScore of C- which is very, very bad). Some will be repulsed by its unlovable main character, its slow build, methodical pacing or its strong, unwaveringly horrific violence. Others will be unimpressed by a film (and director) that calls such attention to itself and its influences. However, I didn't find any of that to be a real problem, because it is all so effective – from the cast to the script to the direction and cinematography, all the way to a soundtrack by Cliff Martinez that is one of the best of the year. Drive deserves plaudits for having that kind of ambition and Refn is an extremely talented director, one who has managed to make a revenge-fueled neo-noir and put a modern twist on it. I was hooked by this movie from the start and it didn't let go for over an hour and a half. This cast is incredible and while the story is simple enough, it feels more pressing and immediate because of the performance and this film's stylistic choices. It is one of the few films this year where I feel like I've gotten more than my money's worth; the kind of film that, if given a chance, can be appealing to a wide swath of film-goers stretching from the art-house to the multiplexes all the way to the grindhouse variety. At the very least, as with any film, you should go see it for yourself and see which side you fall on.

The 411: Drive is a compelling and fascinating neo-noir action film. Nicolas Winding Refn has given audiences one of the smartest and most stylistically interesting action films and modern noir pictures in recent memory. Some will argue that the film is a prime example of a director getting in his own way, promoting himself and his talents instead of his film and characters. Others will say that it is “artsy” just for the sake of being so. There is some of that, but honestly it is all so well done and visually arresting that one can only sit back and enjoy the ride. The entire cast is phenomenal, the cinematography is gorgeous, and the soundtrack is slick. Drive just feels real from start to finish and is the kind of film that is eminently watchable. Methodical pace (especially early on) and the horrific violence create and electric atmosphere, with a main character that is enigmatic, but never feels too broad. This is one of the best films of the year, so far. Recommended.

Final Score:  9.5   [  Amazing ]