Drive
Movie Review
Drive
by Eric D. Snider
Grade: A-
Released: September 16, 2011
Directed by:
Cast:
Every individual element of "Drive" is familiar, but the combination is uniquely intoxicating -- a fresh, lurid, melancholy neo-noir with a hint of existential crime thriller and, for some reason, an '80s-ish techno-pop soundtrack. I was absorbed in the movie while I watched it, but it was afterward that I felt its full effect, like a moody, lingering dream. It's stuck with me for days now.
The director is Nicolas Winding Refn, whose "Bronson," starring Tom Hardy as a notorious English sociopath, earned some attention a couple years ago. Refn's name, all Danish and hard to pronounce, is going to start popping up more frequently now, because "Drive" clearly demonstrates his talent for stylish storytelling, his eye for detail, and his ability to conjure images of subtle beauty and shocking brutality.
"Drive" follows an unnamed Los Angeles man, played by Ryan Gosling, who makes a living as a wheelman for small-time robbers and burglars. He'll wait while you do your job, then get you away from the crime scene speedily and without being caught. Whatever happens during the heist itself or after he's finished his job is none of his concern. He is not a man of many words, at least not initially. As the film progresses and certain aspects of his life start to get out of control, he's obligated to talk more. That's how you know something is wrong.
The Driver is associated with an auto mechanic named Shannon (Bryan Cranston), a luckless man with a limp who talks enough for the both of them. Shannon, in turn, is affiliated with Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks), a vicious Hollywood producer who may invest in stock car racing and employ the Driver as a driver. And Bernie Rose is connected to Nino (Ron Perlman), a pizzeria owner and mid-level mobster who literally swaggers when he walks.
Parallel to this unfolding action, the Driver becomes cautiously friendly with Irene (Carey Mulligan), a young mother in his apartment building whose husband (Oscar Isaac) is in prison. The nature of the Driver's work requires him not to have a lot of personal relationships, a policy that blends well with the nature of the Driver himself. But Irene might be an exception. (As a side note, Mulligan's performance as Irene isn't bad, but it's Christina Hendricks who makes an indelible impression in her few scenes as a professional criminal. Indelible is definitely the word I want to use.)
Our hero is meant to be somewhat inscrutable, and he is, but Gosling has enough soul to keep the Driver from being dull, even if we're never quite given complete access to his emotions. In any event, he's surrounded by fascinating characters like Cranston's pitifully desperate mechanic, Perlman's seething and barely controlled gangster, and Brooks' vicious boss. (Get ready to be unnerved by Albert Brooks, a truly singular experience.) Every man in the film is angry and frustrated, giving rise to dark humor and outright sadness, as well as terror and bloodshed.
The brooding loner who lets his guard down, the job that goes wrong, the downward spiral into dangerous territory -- you can see the familiar pieces of an underworld thriller starting to line up, and while "Drive" doesn't try to hide its inner potboiler (it's based on a pulp novel by James Sallis), it doesn't lean on it, either. Only on paper does it resemble the formulaic crime dramas it sounds like it reminds you of. On the screen, spinning its uncommonly entertaining yarn out of perilous characters and nightmarish scenarios, it feels dazzlingly original.
Grade: A-
Rated R, some harsh profanity, some graphic violence, some nudity
1 hr., 40 min.
Copyright © Eric D. Snider.
This work may not be transmitted via the Internet, nor reproduced in any other way, without written consent from Eric D. Snider.
This item has 9 comments
September 16, 2011 at 7:56 am
Is it me, or is this just "The Transporter" with out Jason Stantham. Another example of the American film industry rehashing a European idea and calling it Original.
Next it'll be an "Amelie" knockoff staring Zoey Daschanel.
September 16, 2011 at 10:19 am
Is it me, or is this just "The Transporter" with out Jason Stantham. Another example of the American film industry rehashing a European idea and calling it Original.
Many of the film's elements are familiar, but the overall result feels fresh and new. Sorry, I should have mentioned that in the review.
September 16, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Is it just me, or has Chad not yet seen "Drive," but wants to make a negative comment anyway?
September 16, 2011 at 11:12 pm
It's a fair question - that's how I was describing it to my wife when trying to convince her to watch it. Thank you, Eric, for clarifying that.
September 18, 2011 at 9:44 pm
Rather than referring to this film as a Transporter knockoff, I'd say it's what Jason S. and company may have wished the earlier film could have been. I'm not saying this in a jingoistic "America rules" sort of way, only that this particular film is better than that particular film. It starts with a similar premise, sure (if you only consider Gosling's character), but has so much more depth and breadth to it. I loved The Transporter for what it was, but this is more than "just" an action extravaganza.
September 20, 2011 at 8:40 am
As soon as I saw the scorpion jacket, I couldn't take the film seriously. I never thought a simple costume flaw can grossly impact one's perception of a movie (for me anyway). That jacket looked gay, really mismatched for the Gosling's character. Elevator scene: heavy breathing and up close scorpion stitching (illusion of it moving) did not have desired effect. And excessively long takes plus 80s soundtrack are not cool, felt very contrived and heavyhanded.
Just to ppl out there - please don't compare Refn with Tarantino (I've seen it happening already!). Can't learn the Quentin's genius, especially his awesome choices in songs and music for his films.
September 21, 2011 at 3:10 pm
I really wanted to like it...and I definitely liked aspects of it (including its "retro" filming) but I was a bit disappointed overall.
I felt that Gosling's character was (as you put it) inscrutable; but that he went too far--that his motivations were also inscrutable: He played the loner so well that I didn't buy it that he could fall in love so quickly. I was also mystified by the "mask" scene--which seemed reminiscent of Mike Myers but otherwise pointless to the plot; and I felt that he was too smart to walk into the final scene the way he did, especially if he wasn't planning on taking the money.
Sorry, trying to speak vaguely because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.
September 28, 2011 at 2:19 pm
I have to disagree with A K: the scorpion jacket was great! The whole point of it was to show that there's more to the character than meets the eye. The material looks satin, which belies The Driver's brutal nature. The embroidered (applique?) scorpion looks custom stitched and probably chosen by the character as a personal symbol. The Driver references the fable of the Scorpion and the Frog in his conversation with Bernie. That said, if you didn't like the jacket I can't really change your mind, now can I?
Jared, this reference to the fable explains exactly why The Driver walks into the final scene. There is a variation of the parable where the scorpion says, "It is better we should both perish than that my enemy should live." However, I think your opinions and how you felt during certain scenes is valid even if I don't share them.
A K, I agree: Refn is NOT Tarantino. What made you think he was trying to be? Was it the violence? It sure wasn't the script, the soundtrack, the cinematography, the lighting, the editing, the chase scenes, etc. Tarantino would have made this movie very differently, but it's folly to think Tarantino is the only director worthy of praise.
Eric, nice review.
November 2, 2011 at 6:26 pm
A K, I think you need to double check what's "cool", buddy, because Ryan Gosling speeding around LA with a French electro soundtrack is about as cool as it gets.