A breath of fresh air

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2011)

There were few films in recent years that I enjoyed quite as much as Drive. The main reason is that few films managed to surprise me as much: Drive managed to create expectations and then avert them several times over. It constantly straddles the line between genres - clearly channeling the action films of the 80's in its first half, then turning into a violent, character-driven crime drama. It also straddles the line between past and present, lovingly embracing the romanticism and energy of the classic action flicks, but contrasting it with dark, post modernistic nihilism.
More importantly than all that, Drive dares to avoid the border that divided almost the entirety of American cinema in the last thirty years, the border between art and entertainment. Like some of the best films ever made - The Godfather, Silence of the Lambs, Pulp Fiction - Drive attempts both. And while it's not on the level of a masterpiece, it manages to be good art and good entertainment. It's well-paced, constantly intense and thrilling, and doesn't overstay its welcome - offering the viewer only glimpses of the characters, leaving us wanting more. It's also beautifully shot, with a moody and unnerving color scheme, and boasts a wonderful cast of top character actors (Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston and Carey Mulligan are great; Ron Pearlamn and Albert Brooks play against type and do a wonderful job) playing a group of fascinating and intricate characters.
Drive is an action film, a crime thriller and an art-house drama rolled into one, but don't expect it to fulfill whatever expectations that description gives you. It's a simple film with a simple story, which immerses the viewer in completely and never lets them lose interest. Might not be a classic masterpiece to be remembered fifty years from now, but a damn good movie by any standard.