Nicholas Winding Refn's Drive bursts onto the screen with a tense and ferocious getaway sequence that will go down in history as one of the best get getaways sequences of the past twenty five years. The film itself is a brooding, nerve racking art house thriller that is an instant cult classic, it's also the best film I have seen this year so far.
Drive is set in Los Angeles and follows The Driver (Ryan Gosling). A stunt driver for movies who moonlights as a getaway driver for the cities dirtiest criminals. He's quiet and methodical and akin to Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name. He speaks with his facial expressions. Driver becomes involved with his next door neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan). He also, through working with Shannon (Bryan Cranston) at a garage, becomes acquainted with local gangsters Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) and Nino (Ron Perlman). Irene's husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) returns from prison and owes some bad people a lot of money. Driver decides to help Standard get the money that he needs, the job goes wrong and the Driver falls into a world of gangland violence.
To me, Drive is the best film I have seen this year. Everything about the film is so brilliantly constructed. The performances across the board are great, with Gosling and Brooks standing out as early oscar contenders. Gosling's performance is so reserved, holding long pauses and conveying everything through facial expressions. Brooks, is haunting and brutal as Bernie Rose. What really throws me off guard, is when a comedy actor does a serious role that is really terrifying. Brooks voiced Nemo's Dad in Finding Nemo and to see repeatedly stab someone in the throat is quite unsettling.
The construction and directing in Drive is top class. I have been a fan of Refn's for years and I am glad Drive is what it is. More people will get to see how much of a master storyteller Refn is. Every frame so delicate, every scene positioned perfectly. Drive starts with a great getaway, then slows down and sets the story. For a while, everything is calm and tense. The build up is long and arduous, but then the films explodes into a final act that is violent, gory, shocking, powerful and excellent. The violence in this film is horrific, even more horrific because the fourty minutes at the beginning was so peaceful. It really takes you by surprise. All I will say is "Elevator Scene" . Even though the action is frequent and fast, it is high class action. Not your usual explosion filled summer blockbuster. The action is a lethal component at the heart of Drive's engine.
Another great attribute to Drive is it's electronic score and soundtrack. Cliff Martinez is on great form here and the selection of songs that Refn chose are brilliant. Set the electronic score to the nightlife and skyline of LA and you do have something truly mesmerising.
Drive is strictly European, it has European sensibilities. Long silences and focus on facial reaction. Some people might not find that enthralling and might think it's boring. I thought the slow burn was a great build to a relentless final act and worked fine. But some people may be put off by the art house direction. The trailers for this film have been really misleading, they promise more action than the film actually offers. Which is unfair to people who will expecting Fast Five. Fast Five, this is not.
There is only one problem I had with the film and it is very minor. It's Carey Mulligan undertaking the role of Irene. She doesnt handle the role badly, shes a talented actress. It's just that I never for one second believed she was the character, she seems very upper class in real life and plays those roles in other films and to me she looked awkward in the role of a working class mother.
Like Luc Besson did in the 90's with Leon: The Professional. Nicholas Winding Refn has blended his European code of conduct with the Hollywood film making method and it works a treat. Filled with superb performances, a brilliant soundtrack and violence that is enthralling. Drive is a special movie, that will be looked back on in years to come with such high regard. It will also be looked back upon as Nicholas Winding Refn's film that put him on the map.
9.5/10
Thanks.
Chris
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