"Drive"

Action/Adventure, Drama, Thriller, Crime/Gangster and Adaptation. Rated R. 1 hour, 40 minutes.

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Ryan Gosling plays a Hollywood stunt driver who spends his nights as a getaway driver in Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive.

Let’s start with the opening scene. Sounds fitting, right? Drive starts with a cold open that display’s our hero’s skills as a getaway driver and immediately sucks the audience in for the long haul. Gosling’s character, who we only know as “Driver,” develops a friendship with his neighbor Irene, played by the always charming Carey Mulligan. Irene has a son with her husband, Standard, played by Oscar Isaacs. Standard returns from prison not long after Driver and Irene meet. He is in debt to a mobster and Driver volunteers to help. The heist he agrees to help Standard with does not go according to plan, and Driver decides to take it upon himself to right all that went wrong.

Gosling is in almost every single scene, but has a noticeable small amount of dialogue. His character comes off as mysterious and intense, yet calm. Gosling is surrounded by solid players all around. Bryan Cranston and Albert Brooks especially shine here. Those two might have an outside shot at stealing a Best Supporting Actor nomination.

Refn’s direction might divide some audience’s. His movies are generally slow paced and rely on the visuals to tell the story, and this is no exception. Very little dialogue used in “Drive.” The soundtrack may also divide some audiences, but I personally loved it, as it gave it a retro feel with songs that sounded like they were out of a mid-80’s film. The editing though, at times, felt a little choppy.

I wouldn’t say Drive is as great as many critics are saying it is, but I would say it is definitely worth seeing.

OVERALL RATING: B+

Photo credit: Film District

Drivemovie poster