I refuse to review this movie, I refuse to talk about its simplistic yet complex plot. I refuse to review it because it's a film that is not made to be reviewed, it's not made to be assigned a number, it's made to experienced. I am still digesting it, trying to make sense of what it all means. How does it's title fit into the bigger picture?
Drive is a new kind of film, unlike anything I have ever seen before. It's got long moments of silence where tension builds and builds until the silence explodes into startlingly brutal sequences of violence and action. It's also got lots of beautiful shots of LA at night. It's a quiet, tense, super-artful, colorful, violent film. I've even created a name for the kind of film Drive is: I call it Neon. The whole feel and look of the film just screamed that word to me (the whole film plays like a slow neon dream).
Ryan Gosling is great as the leading character that is only referred to as The Kid or Driver (even though I kind of took to calling him Billy. Billy the Kid). He drives for a living. During the day he is a stunt car driver, during the night he is a getaway driver. He is a man of few words, and he's almost emotionless. He doesn't cry, or scream....but behind his stoic facade you can sense the rage and sadness bubbling up inside him at certain points throughout the film. When he does explode into brutal violence it's both terrifying and thrilling in all the right ways. We want to cheer him on even though his actions are almost monstrous at times.
Drive also has superb performances by Bryan Cranston as the Fagin-esque Shannon, The Kid's father figure of sorts that owns a car garage where The Kid is employed, Albert Brooks as Bernie, an all too charming reluctant villain, and Ron Pearlman as a foul mouthed gangster named Nino. I also have to mention Carey Mulligan as the quiet, troubled girl next door Irene. There are a few other cool surprise appearances by a few others but I won't mention them here.
Drive reminded me of The Godfather. Alot of scenes just screamed the style found in that film and some of the themes in drive are similar to themes found in Godfather. Take Arthouse film making, mix in some 80s feel, add in a touch of explosive violence, and top it off with some of the old style of film making as well and you've got Drive: One helluva different film. It was made to defy your expectations, so the best way to walk in is with no expectations at all.
I didn't love it, but I really really liked the fuck out of it.
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