A Surprising, Subtle Indie Action FIlm

Rating: Null/10 (16 September 2011)

It's often said that, in films, what is seen is more important than what is heard. No film this year has displayed this best than Drive, a film that is all about actions speaking louder than words. In this way, much of the film is out of the ordinary. We get a lot of scenery and quiet moments where characters show all their emotions through facial expression and body language. We also get what may very well be one of Ryan Goslings best performances as the anti-hero of the film.
Here, he plays the unnamed Driver who is a Hollywood stuntman and mechanic by day, and getaway driver by night. However, our mostly quiet driver is also a man who is very honorable and with a good heart. So, when he sees his neighbor and her daughter are in trouble, he comes to their aid, only to find his charity backfiring and putting him in the path of danger.
This film is definitely Gosling's film, and he plays it fantastically. The Driver is far from the usual anti-hero. While we don't really learn much about his past, we do learn quite a bit about him simply from the way he carries himself and how he treats those around him. He's kind, but also has a side that is violent and criminal. We can easily pick up on security issues he may possess, as well as a level of loneliness, but there is also a dangerous and fearless side which you wouldn't want to bring out. It's one of the most subtle performances I have seen in a long, long time and the Driver is one of the most well developed characters to come along without having to go into any back story or flashbacks.
Beyond the character himself, and the rest of the cast which is fantastically fleshed out and as well developed, we have the city of LA, which becomes almost a character itself. The film has a very real portrayal of LA, with the car chases and action coming off as slightly more realistic than the typical action film. There's no ridiculous amounts of destruction, with all the action exploding onto the screen in moments that occur here and there, mostly in the second and third act. The city isn't shown in the typically grungy OR idealistic way: perpetually hopeless or completely endearing. This LA is more reminiscent of Michael Mann's Collateral, which painted it in a similar way. There seems to even be a relationship between the characters and the city that gives it an almost romantic appeal, the kind of love it/hate it relationship that only someone who has grown with the city could really experience.
Drive is one of those brave films that is out of the ordinary. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this is a film that most people don't care much for. It's slow for the first half of the film and it's very quiet. Most of the action early on is subtle. Even when there is action, it comes in graphic spurts and a lot of the film is portrayed in an unconventional way. But for those who have longed for something different but powerful in it's filmmaking, this is the kind of film you've waited for. I dare say, it is one of the years best.