Drive (2011)
(2011)Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan star in this crime thriller about a movie stuntman who also works as a getaway driver for the mafia. Nominated for the Palme d'Or and winner of Best Director at Cannes 2011. From director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson), adapted from the James Sallis novel.... More
When a planned heist goes wrong, Gosling's unnamed getaway driver is blamed. LA's most dangerous criminal (Albert Brooks) puts out a contract on his life and he goes on the run through the streets of Los Angeles, while protecting his love interest (Mulligan) and her son. Hide
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Winner of Best Director, Cannes Film Festival 2011.
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Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn ('Valhalla Rising', 'Bronson', The 'Pusher' Trilogy)
Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Oscar Isaac, Albert Brooks, Tina Huang
Written by Hossein Amini (based on the novel of the same name by James Sallis)
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Drive (2011)
BY yuefei superstar
Surprisingly though, by the time the song that I found hilarious both... More lyrically and sonically (it didn't seem to fit in with the tone of the film at the time) ended up transforming the ending sequence into something meaningful and, dare I say, poignant.
Drive, in my opinion, has quite a few flaws.
Plot-wise, this really isn't anything special (but the twists still hit good), as with all Refn films. It's the delivery that "drives" this film. Speaking of which, if the action sequences don't fill you head to toe with adrenaline, then you're not a real human being. Some of the effects were a little unconvincing, but honestly kind of add to my overall enjoyment of the film, or at least to its sense of "Refn". Cinematography felt inconsistent, but was pleasing and interesting for the most part. I had a few problems with the lighting, but it didn't distract too much from the experience. As I'd previously mentioned, I found the soundtrack to be a little out of place, but that seems to be more personal preference, seeing that others seemed to find it fitting.
Characters were fine I guess, the protagonist by far has the most interesting and complex role, which Ryan Gosling does a stunning job with. The criminal figures seemed pretty run-of-the-mill to me, but even so we still get glimpses into their lives that suggest that they are more than stereotypes and bring dimensions to them. Really sympathised with Standard and the Driver, not to mention Walter White was very likeable. Carey Mulligan's character was, by far, the most flat, but never got to the point of obnoxiousness, though she was getting close. The romance that was present in the first half of the film was almost laughable, but once again, it added to this sense of absurdity throughout the entire thing. This chemistry of the melodramatic woman and the mysterious, silent man.
Refn's obsession with Violence and Revenge really shows through the blurred morality that underlines the entire film, which shows that it's much more complex than what it appears to be.
Recommended to pretty much anyone who likes things a bit strange, a bit violent, and aren't afraid of gore. Entertaining, but a bit heavy.
Try to go in as blind as possible.
That is all.Hide
BY Hugo-Burns superstar
Awesome soundtrack. Visually stimulating visuals. Superb cast. A modern day Taxi Driver at it's best.
BY JackWallace superstar
BY Hannah-Carter lister
Ryan Gosling's "The Driver" is the epitome of the strong and silent type that our generation has not seen. His backstory is nil, we don't even know... More his name. His spoken lines are minimal but his character's integrity and purpose are never doubted.Hide
BY clararar superstar
Showing 5 of 21 reviews. See all reviews
The Press Reviews
93%
of critics recommend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score. More reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
It’s retro genre heaven. Full Review
Drive looks like one kind of movie in the ads, and it is that kind of movie. It is also a rebuke to most of the movies it looks like. Full Review
About as much shamelessly disreputable, stylish, ultra-violent fun you’re going to have at the movies this year. Full Review
A visually and aurally edgy Euro-influenced American genre movie... Full Review
It’s a fun, if not exhilarating, ride, one sped along with the help of a wonderfully assembled cast. Full Review
Pure cinema, a grenade of image and sound ready to blow. Full Review
An action crime movie that’s as cerebral and surreal as it is red-blooded. Full Review
Thoroughly immersing, Drive leaves the competition in the dust. Full Review
Whereas most muscle-car action pics are visually and narratively flat, Drive displays stunning style. Full Review
BY Dominic Corry Flicks Writer
About half-way through Drive, Bernie Rose, the mid-level LA mobster character played by Albert Brooks, is talking about his past as a producer of action movies in the ‘80s. “Some people described them as…‘European’…” he says. Both times I’ve seen Drive, this line elicited a mild murmur of recognition from the audience, as he is essentially describing the movie he is in.... More
On paper, Drive sounds pretty generic and at one point was destined to be a stock-standard action movie with Hugh Jackman in the lead role. Thankfully, Ryan Gosling and crazy Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson; Valhalla Rising) came on board and created a modern masterpiece of stylistic austerity and unfettered cool.
A neon and synth-laden ‘80s fever dream, Drive manages to hold back where similar films go over the top. The opening car chase is excruciatingly slow, creating a sustained air of uneasy tension that finds release in brief flashes of extreme violence.
Gosling commands the screen with the effortless cool of Newman or McQueen – he has very few lines, but his actions speak volumes. Refn infuses even the most minor characters with complex identities, with Brooks and Ron Pearlman both delivering scorching supporting performances. Only Carey Mulligan (An Education), as the love interest, seems a little bit out of place.
A firecracker up the backside of the bloated modern action movie, Drive shows just how emotive and poetic the genre can be.Hide
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