From The Archives: Drive (2011)
Originally published in February 2012.
When Nicolas Winding Refn brought us Bronson in 2008 I remember watching it and thinking that the Danish director had just created his defining movie, an amazing achievement for the same man who had already brought us the brilliant Pusher trilogy. In 2009, Refn forced me to reconsider that with his bloody epic Valhalla Rising, another film that seemed to do no wrong.
In 2011, Drive, his latest offering was released and immediately created controversy with many media outlets criticising the movie’s promotional campaign and labelling it as false and misleading. Anyone with even the smallest of understanding of the work that this director has produced will know that he doesn’t create films set to one genre but instead uses techniques used in a wide variety of genres to create a the most unique experience possible for the audience. The Fast and the Furious is not what this movie aspires to be…because Drive is miles and miles (Pun intended!) ahead on so many levels.
Drive tells the story of an unnamed man (Gosling) who works as a Hollywood stunt driver, mechanic and moonlights as a getaway driver whose knowledge of L.A and exceptional skills make him a very popular go-to man. The story kicks off when the driver gets close to a woman (Mulligan) and her family. When a robbery goes bad, the driver must take matters into his own hands to ensure that the woman and her son are kept safe from harm…whilst keeping himself safe.
That description does make the film sound like a typical Hollywood heist gone wrong movie but Drive is far beyond anything that I expected. The film is ironically not so much focused on the cars as it is the characters and their actions under stress, how they deal with their problems and make the best of the situations presented to them.
Gosling is in amazing form as the driver, everything about his performance is astonishing from his line delivery (or lack of in some cases), facial expressions or just remaining level headed in the moments of complete carnage. Its easy to see why comparisons of Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry and Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver has been thrown around to describe him in this. A totally unforgettable role and one that may very well be the finest of his career.
Supporting him is the equally brilliant Carey Mullian who plays the mother and love interest of the driver. Mulligan plays the role to great effect and some of her best moments are usually when she is around Gosling. Their periods of silence say more than any words can and this is used a lot in the film with great success. Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad & Malcom of the Middle) appears in the role of Shannon, an ageing, crippled mechanic who plays the role of mentor/father figure to the driver and is a fantastic choice for the part. Rounding out rest of the cast are Oscar Isaac who portrays the man responsible for kick starting all of the problems and Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman who are inspired choices to play the gangsters desperate to clean up the situation at all costs. Both are equally brilliant and each are able to bring their unique talents into the film; Perlman is responsible for some of the more memorable dialogue while Brooks is outstanding as the smooth talking sympathiser and eventual main antagonist.
Visually the movie is beautiful, mixing up sweeping, noir-like night shots of Los Angeles, intense close ups and unusual angles to create a very unique experience while not offending the senses too much. Praise should also be given to the elevator scene which starts as being a gorgeous and emotionally satisfying slow motion shot and then abruptly turns into one of the most shockingly violent parts of the movie. The car chase sequences are also handled very expertly and keep the audience on the edge of their seat for their duration…I actually had no nails left at the end of one scene!
I have really tried to pick bad points with this film and the only thing I can find fault with is perhaps the speed of the film, some scenes do move along very slowly but this is mainly done to allow the building of tension to reach its nerve-shredding levels…so not a bad thing at all then really! The violence is also a major factor of the film; some of it is so extreme it would probably make Tarantino or Takashi Miike flinch. Again, however, this is handled very well and will only a problem if gratuitous bloody violence and gore easily shocks you.
The stars really have aligned for this movie; it boasts an unbelievable cast, a script filled with brilliantly effective dialogue, some of the best editing you will ever see and a distinctly 80’s influenced score which will stick in your head for hours after hearing.
In summery, Drive was the movie of 2011. It may also turn out to be one of the most outstanding movies of the decade if not all time. There is absolutely nothing to fault with the film in my opinion. Tonight, for me, the bar was raised to a level that maybe only Christopher Nolan can match come July.
Best bit: Take your pick! The elevator scene and failed robbery chase are very memorable.
Worst bit: To me nothing but to others, the levels of violence, language and nudity may be off putting. Definitely not one to watch with the kids!
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