Strays from the book into perfection.

Rating: 10/10 (26 July 2012)

Don't make any assumptions here, Drive is not your run-of-the-mill getaway driver action film, and anyone who approaches the film expecting something along those lines will be sorely disappointed.
What Drive is, is a masterpiece in cinematography, choice of soundtrack and above all, acting. Anyone who criticises the film's almost total lack of dialogue has missed the point - the driver has no name; he is an outsider. He has nothing to say to the other characters in the film because of Ryan Gosling's immense screen presence. The ability to make a moving story of love and betrayal with hardly any speech should be considered a massive achievement - Carey Mulligan and Ryan Gosling make magic on the silver screen.
However, it should not be forgotten that the film strays considerably far from the book it is based on. Hispanic Irina from the book has been abandoned in favour of Caucasian Irene, the non-linear structure of the book has been scrapped in favour of a linear progression, and most noticeably, the driver has been turned into a near mute. Although, one of the most favourable features of the film is that this works on the screen, and after watching the film it just feels right that the driver didn't speak, that time progressed naturally throughout the film.
Another thing that many people have had disagreements over in this film are the sudden outbursts of ultra-violence - the cranium stomping incident in the lift, the brutal murder of Blanche in the motel room, and the drowning of Nino in the ocean, but frankly, the film would just become too quiet, too subdued, and could have even started to become boring if these elements had been left out.