DRIVE (2011)

Directed By: Nicolas Winding Refn
Written By: Hossein Amini
Based On The Novel By: Jamie Sallis
Cinematography By: Newtom Thomas Sigel
Editor: Matthew Newman

CAST: Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, Oscar Issac, Christina Hendricks, Russ Tamblyn

A Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong.

I will admit the film is more style over Substance

I would put this film in my hall of fame. Unfortunately it is too early. The film is that good.

I can admit i built this movie up in my head, so much there was no way it could reach the expectations i had in my head. It was close. The problem is it is a crime story you have seen a million times only with more applied style. The film definitely has a European feel of making everything, even the grimiest locations and people good looking and smooth.

This was one of the films I looked forward too all year. While it didn’t reach the levels I had expected. It taught me a lesson of how expectations can affect the outlook and impression of a film.

Some reviewers remarked Carey Mulligan’s is miscast. I feel that is because it’s a
role some may feel any good actress could play and a actress of her nature is too big for the typical girlfriend, Damsel in Distress mode. I believe she fills the role well as you need a powerful actress to go toe to toe with Ryan Gosling and make his hard character into a virtual puppy dog around her.

The script is scarce on dialogue more time is devoted to body language, Facial reactions and mood. It’s like a Michael Mann film, though more compact and smaller scaled. The film relies heavily on mood, Soundtrack and score. The soundtrack is excellent and the fashion, style and music make the film seem more like a 80’s themed film.

For the guys it is incredibly violent, even the scenes you have seen before in many films are over the top violent. i would compare the character to the main one in Le Samuorai. Only Gosling's character is not as Cold Blooded.

If you don’t like the mood and style in the beginning, You are probably not going to like the film by large at all. the film get's under your skin. It has long Shots that last long where a normal director would cut. The camera stays on the characters so that you get the action and the emotional aftermath. Which leads to some scenes being awkward, yet that makes the scenes and film so special.

I believe Nicolas Winding Refn is a true talent, Here he is just taking something cliché and dressing it up to give it a individual identity set itself apart. I feel he is both trying to impress and express his vision artistically. To tell the truth I would rather the studios give a person who has a vision and has original ideas $100million to make a movie. Then a hack who will bring me a film that is exactly the same as we have seen hundreds of times, but I get it Studios want to be successful it’s like those who want to seem edgy but are really square underneath it all.
He is a talent just as I believe M. Night Shamalayan Has a visual talent. He just believes his own hype his films might be horrible, but the production values. The visuals so crisp and rich. It makes you wish the movies were better.

Nicolas Winding Refn Makes his mark by doing the most genre film he has ever made to date. IT has to be somewhat indulgent and pretentious. If not this would be a run of the mill B-Movie. You had seen before or a action extravaganza that left you bored. It would essentially be one of the films that you complain about and wonder how did this get made. This is the first film Mr. Refn has made that he didn’t write the script for. Surprisingly he only got the Job after Neil Marshall dropped out and Ryan Gosling who ended up Replacing Hugh Jackman as star requested him.

Albert Brooks is great as the low rent gangster in the middle of this. He brings a joyness in his role even though he is a tough person to deal with in the film. His curly hair is straightened to help play a Californian. His character is someone who is totally in control. No Neurosis, No lieing to himself. He’s even likeable despite the evil things he must do.

Ryan Gosling what can I say at first I didn’t get it, his appeal but he is slowly has grown on me and it’s funny the role where he barely talks is the one that impresses me the most. I believe it’s his intenseness. No matter what scene like he could kiss or kill you. The way in which he never takes his eyes off of whoever is in the room. Always looking around for exits and angles. He speaks little in the film but says so much. He also brings a physicality to the role. He let’s his actions do all the talking, With his all American boyish looks (though he is Canadian) He has a innocent look that when he unleashes his viciousness, Is startling. If you loved, THE NOTEBOOK and liked CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE. This film is exactly the Ryan Gosling porn you have been waiting for. So many close-ups of him. A family man of a certain type. Violent but only to protect the ones he cares about. Strong and silent. A man of his word with his own morals. Men want to be him, Women want to be with him. To get more into the character Gosling restored the 1973 Chevy Malibu that his character uses in the film.

The fact that we don’t know anything about his past and it is never explained gives Gosling’s nameless character. The air of mystery and allows us as individuals to indulge ourselves into imagining his past to fit the story and most exciting aspects for ourselves to make him see cooler. Where as if it was explained to us. It would never be as exciting compared to what we imagine ourselves for him.
Yes the violence is excessive more so then is needed. It’s almost like a horror film the level of it is so grisly. It seems it is there to make a point. To shock you and to also make you pay attention. It would seem the more important the character the more violent the death.

I will admit a few scenes seem a bit ridiculously indulgent, but it get’s across certain points. Take the ending the soundtrack seems to be telling you how to feel and think with it’s song selection it’s not over the top but it is leading.

The film feels like it has been put together like a opera. So that everything and every one has a specific purpose and it helps feed and complete the director’s vision. The film is not so much a crowd pleaser, but is a film that forces you to have an opinion on it.

This is a film to be more or less enjoyed and marveled at for it’s technical aspects then anything else. It seems to be a film more for film geeks and hardcore movie watchers more then general audiences.
See as soon as possible. Definitely a addition to the film library.

GRADE: B+