Drive (2011) Review

DRIVE (2011)

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Writer: Hossein Amini (based on book by James Sallis)

Producers: David Lancaster, Bill Lischak, Linda McDonough, Peter Schlessel, Jeffrey Stott, and Gary Michael Walters

Editor: Mat Newman

Cinematography: Newton Thomas Sigel

Music: Cliff Martinez

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, and Ron Perlman

Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes

Rating: R (bloody violence, language, some nudity)

Genre: Crime, Drama, Action

Release Date: September 16, 2011

Before Watching the Movie: Though not necessary, it might be good to familiarize yourself with the movie A Fistful of Dollars beforehand. it doesn't help or hurt your viewing, but it was interesting to me to draw parallels between the movies, since I found many.

Things people may find “objectionable”: This is definitely not a movie I'd take small children to. First of all, there is quite a bit of swearing, as the f-bomb is dropped on numerous occasions. There is also one scene that takes place in the back of a strip club where there is some nudity and BWC shots. (If you are unclear on what a "BWC shot" is, read the objectionable section from my review of Starcrash). Also, and most prevalent in the movie is the violence. The violence is intense, brutal and bloody, as well as surprising. Some of the most violent moments happen out of nowhere and can really catch you off guard. If you have a hard time handling brutal violence in movies, this one probably isn't for you.

Intro: Today was the first real rainstorm in Southern California in probably 4 months. Home alone in the morning (I had a random day off school), I decided I wanted to watch a film noir-esque movie, or one that would complement the dark and gloomy rainstorm outside. I perused Netflix and came across Drive, since I remembered it got good reviews when it came out last year. My choice ended up being a good one, especially on a rainy day. Drive is a well-made, stylized update of 60s and 70s Man with No Name classics like A Fistful of Dollars with brilliant cinematography, sometimes slow, yet relentless tension, and a very good usage of music.

Plot: A mysterious and quiet Hollywood stunt driver and garage mechanic (Gosling) one day falls for his neighbor Irene (Mulligan), who is a single mother with a young boy and a husband in prison. The Driver (Gosling's character's name is never mentioned) becomes closer to Irene and her son Benicio until one day Irene's husband, Standard (Isaac) is released from prison. After the Driver sees Standard beaten up one day, he finds out Standard owes a mobster in repayment for the protection he received in prison. This prompts Standard to ask the Driver to help with a robbery of a pawn shop so they get the money. The Driver agrees because he wants what's best for Irene and Benicio, which is their father and husband. When the robbery goes wrong and the Driver is left with a million dollars in his car, the mob starts coming after him and he soon realizes that Irene and Benicio are targets of the mob. The Driver must try to protect Irene and Benicio from the mob while not getting himself killed and controlling his rage issues.

Ratings:

     -Directing/Cinematography: 10/10. Brilliant cinematography and direction. The movie is full of interesting shots and lighting. The lighting was probably the best part. The lighting made a huge difference in the movie. Every scene is brilliantly lit and it always represents the mood of the scene. The lighting also helps create a gritty, retro feel that really helps contribute to the style of the movie. O think this would be a good movie for aspiring cinematographers to watch and learn from, since the filmmakers make it work so well on so many levels. Why did this not win an Oscar for cinematography? It wasn't even nominated!!! Why??

     -Acting: 9/10. Ryan Gosling, though he is seen by many as a heartthrob, can actually act. He really does a good job in his role as the Driver, and this will likely be the role he will be remembered for. The Driver reminds me a lot of The Man with No Name from Sergio Leone's western classics with Clint Eastwood, and Gosling seems to understand this and plays the character similarly to the way Clint Eastwood did. The rest of the cast gives solid performances as well.

     -Writing: 8/10.

          -Story: 8/10. The story was nice and twisted and dark and for the most part, well told. The only problem I had with it is that in the second half of the movie, the screenwriters seem to forget to include Irene and Benicio and the characters barely show up in the second half, even if they are trying to be protected by the Driver.

          -Script: 8/10. Pretty good script. Definitely solid, but it didn't stand out to me as much as the visuals did.

There are tons of fan-made posters for the movie, and I think many of them are better than the poster they decided to use. Here are a few that stood out to me. The middle one is my favorite of these.

     -Special Effects: 8/10. Not many special effects to speak of except the gunfire and blood. Still, the gunfire and blood look realistic.

     -Music/Score: 10/10. The music was used very well in the movie. Though some of it wasn't my favorite, the filmmakers nonetheless use it very effectively to convey the mood of different scenes.

     -Power/Emotion: 7/10. The movie definitely packed an emotional punch on me, as I can't seem to get it out of my head. In any film noir (I'm counting this as one), it can be hard to care for characters because it is usually hard to distinguish whether the character is good or bad. I went through that with the character of the Driver. I felt for him, but I couldn't confirm or deny my feelings until the end. Even while deciding if he's good or bad, I definitely had some sympathy for him, as he seems lost in life through a good portion of the movie.

     -Adrenaline: 9/10. Though the tension builds rather slowly for the first half of the movie, it almost never goes away. Afterwards in the second half of the movie, the tension ramps up and becomes unrelenting until the end. This uncertainty of the character of the Driver made the tension build and I think this was one of the main reasons I found the movie captivating.

     -Humor: 1/10. Humor is really the last you'd expect in a movie like this, and there's just about as much as you'd expect. Other than the occasional comic relief, the movie is dead serious the whole time.
     -Best Credit: John Pyper-Ferguson as "Bearded Redneck"

     -Final Score: Drive is a very style-driven movie and I think you have to tap into this to fully enjoy it. Since I am a film noir fan and a fan of Leone's Man with No Name Trilogy, I think I was able to do so. Even if you don't get or don't like the movie, it's really hard to ignore the fantastic cinematography and lighting. I'd recommend this to anyone who can take brutal violence and I'd especially recommend this to aspiring directors and cinematographers, as I think they can learn a lot from this movie. In short, this definitely was a great, gritty, rainy day movie.

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