Movie Review | Drive

Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising)
Written by: Hossein Amini (based on the book by James Sallis)
Starring: Ryan Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love, Blue Valentine), Carey Mulligan (An Education, Never Let Me Go)
Stupid Rating: R
My Rating: 17+ for severe and graphic violence, nudity (showgirls' boobs), and language.

I first found out about this movie just days before it was released. I don't know how it flew under my movie-lovin' radar, but I suspect it has something to do with how insanely busy I've been lately. It caught my eye because it not only had Ryan Gosling in it, who is amazing, but also two of my top seven girl crushes in the form of Carey Mulligan and Christina Hendricks. And although it seems strange, I was also quite intrigued by the movie because of the font used for the poster. It had that sort of cheesy throwback feel, which I knew meant this film took some sort of risk.

 Drive exceeded my admittedly limited expectations. I assumed it would be worth while because Ryan Gosling tends to choose excellent roles, but car movies can only hold my attention so long. This movie not only held my absolutely undivided attention for the entire 100 minutes in the theater, but the next few days afterward as well. I would have posted this review sooner, but it's taken a few days for me to wrap my head around how genius the film actually is.

As a toast to the old Steve McQueen movies, the plot is simple, the music is gaudy, and most of the characters are seedy and stereotypical. Also true to throwback form, the car chases and crashes are real looking, organic, and relatively unspectacular compared to today's CGI obsession-- something actually very refreshing in my eyes. And then there is our nameless, all-American, leading man who transcends the hero of the American narrative. He's sort of awkward, at times unnerving, and yet I'm trying to think of a recent film's protagonist that I have enjoyed watching more. He's the perfect anti-hero.

I also must note the incredible cinematography. Although the whole film is a near visual perfection (without being a CGI fest), there is one scene in the film that is jaw-droppingly stunning (a hint: showgirls). I probably held my breath through the entire sequence simply because I had forgotten how to breath. It was so subtle and organic and perfect. Mmm.

What didn't I like about this movie? The excess of violence. You know that part in Pan's Labyrinth with the bottle and that guy's face? Yeah, that scene is pretty horrific, right? Well the violence in Drive is like that scene on steroids... again and again. I understand it was purposeful to character development and movie stylization, but sometimes the thought of what's going on off screen is worse than actually seeing that guy's face get stomped in. It was just a little too much for me.

4.5 OUT OF 5 THUMBS UP

brilliant protagonist + throwback feel - computer generated effects + non stop excitement + carey mulligan = a must see for film enthusiasts (who don't mind graphic violence)