Viewed in
2011
Formats
Movie theater (digital)
Premise
Ryan Gosling stars as a stunt/getaway driver who gets caught up in trouble when he decides to help out his neighbor.
Loved
The old school feel.
Liked
The deep cast.
Disliked
The misleading font.
Thoughts
Overall, a very strong film throughout.
What I liked best about it was the style. It definitely hearkened back to 1970's Steve McQueen movies like Bullitt with muscle cars and taciturn antiheroes. Yet somehow it managed to update the pace and sensibilities without compromising that distinct vibe.
Actually the old school film this really reminded me of was Taxi Driver. Both had uncompromising violence, themes of isolation, long takes of characters in silence, and great nighttime cinematography to enhance the seedy city underworld that the characters inhabit. In addition, there were shout outs to the 1980's, with hot pink titles font and synthesizer-inspired electronic score/music.
Walking in I only knew about Gosling as the lead. I was shocked to find out how deep and awesome the cast was, with the likes of badass Ron Perlman, cranky Bryan Cranston, and adorable Carey Mulligan. Casting Albert Brooks as a violent mobster was interesting, but he delivered. I felt sorry for Christina Hendricks, as she got shafted with too small a small role given her current popularity. As for Mr. Gosling, he was excellent. His babyface actually worked, somehow exuding sympathy while locked in stoic poker face. His nonthreatening look was a wicked contrast to his world, making him deadlier.
Despite the title of Drive, there was not an abundance of action. Much like the Scorsese classic, it was more about mood, character, and (crime) drama. When there were car chases, director Nicolas Winding Refn did a great job of making the action easy to follow and believe, using score and sound mixing deftly to pump up the action.
My only complaint would be Gosling's character arc. Granted, that might be how the novel went, but it was a bit unbelievable that a stunt driver suddenly knew how to ninja crooks and mobsters.
This is definitely a film more for the older generation and film buffs. I'm not a fan of old muscle car movies, but I really enjoyed its retro style along with the strong characters, performances and style.
What I would change
Changed the font from flamingo pink to something more serious and befitting the film.
