Drive Review

“Drive”
Release Date: September 16, 2011
Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn
Screenplay by: Hossein Amini
Rated R for strong brutal bloody violence, language and some nudity
Review by: Sean Kayden

Director Nicolas Winding Refn is an aberrant visual artist. Drive, his latest work of art, combines striking imagery and an essence of cool that’s been missing in American cinema for quite sometime. It’s funny how a Danish director is the one to bring cool back in a way we haven’t seen in years. I’m not going to lie, Refn (winner of this year’s Cannes Film Festival for Best Director) was inspired by earlier films of the genre, but figures out a way to make this endeavor completely his own body of work. Essentially, Drive is about a chivalrous Hollywood stunt driver and loner, who moonlights as a getaway driver. He quickly finds himself caught up with the wrong people in a heist that goes terribly wrong. Yes, we’ve all seen movies of this conformation before, but I can promise you that you haven’t seen it like this. At face value, Drive is minimalistic and straightforward, but at its core, this uniquely developed drama/suspense film is ultra sleek, eloquently violent, beautifully composed and superbly acted.

The screenplay, adapted by Hossein Amini from the book by James Sallis is solid, but is light on dialogue. Drive is elevated by the electrifying performances of its cast. Ryan Gosling plays the nameless protagonist known as “The Driver” in such a subtle, but harrowing way. A man of few words, Gosling has never been this good. The mannerisms, the facial expressions, the pain behind those blue eyes make this character so memorable and exemplary. From Clint Eastwood to Steve McQueen to James Dean, Gosling exemplifies a true yet complex action hero with this character. Carey Mulligan, the woman down the hall of the driver’s apartment building, is affecting and excellent as Irene. She plays a mother waiting for her husband to be released from prison. However, she forms a strong affinity for the Driver and her little boy finds a surrogate father while his own father is locked up. The Driver sees a life he has never had and may never have with Irene and her son. In this light, the Driver seems vulnerable, sensitive, and compassionate. Without sappy or lovey-dovey trite dialogue, The Driver and Irene’s bond blossoms with little words that are ever spoken. Credit is due to Cliff Martinez’s romantic, electro-pop, electronica score. The tone and textures of this resonance fuels the poignant acting in the scenes shared on screen by Gosling and Mulligan. Bottom line, the score is a modern day masterpiece. At the other end of the spectrum is Albert Brooks. In an unlikely performance, Brooks plays a former 80s Hollywood producer/mob boss that is scary, daunting, and ruthless. While his presence is limited, he is downright engrossing. It’s as almost as if his lines weren’t even written, but simply formed by Brooks himself. The movie quickly shifts into high gears after the Driver is part of an ill-advised heist gone awry. Gosling’s character goes from playing defense to offense in a flick of a switch. At this moment, all bets are off and the movie comes to life in unimaginable way. So while Drive deliberately starts off in the slow lane, it eventually kicks into overdrive at a blazing pace you can only hope to be equipped for.

Refn’s penchant for violence and gore is overwhelmingly present here, but the bursts of brutality is enthralling, if not disturbing. While not for the faint at heart, the violent behavior in Drive is artful and vividly produced. These particular scenes rank among the finest of the year. On a technical level, Drive is flawless. I love the way it was shot. Every scene, every shadow within a scene, and the precise way light is used matters. Nothing feels wasted or oversaturated. Always taut and suspenseful, you’re eyes will never veer off screen. The film easily takes over all your senses with every single scene telling a story within itself. It’s simply the coolest film of the year. With powerhouse performances and Refn’s skillful directing, Drive is a tightly and impressively constructed motion picture worth seeing. Despite an extremely familiar storyline, a somewhat scattered plot, and earlier film influences, Drive still takes the viewer on a ridiculously wild ride. Buckle up because “it’s going to be a bumpy ride” is clearly an understatement here.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Published on September 24th, 2011 by Mountain Views News
http://mtnviewsnews.com/v05/htm/n39/p10.htm