Stylish, Tense and Thrilling

Rating: 8/10 (25 September 2011)

I walked into this movie expecting a typical "Fast and Furious" no-brainer. I was caught off-guard and was completely mesmerized by the pace, the suspense, and the European-style direction. The minimalist dialogue and the "jump-out-of-your-seat" violence knocked my socks off. Ryan Gosling plays the lead as a conflicted, tortured, possibly Aspergian protagonist who falls for his neighbor, but resorts to extreme violence when he feels threatened. The only caveat is that Carey Mulligan is under-used. She is a terrific actress and her few scenes are powerful and wrenching,
Albert Brooks is a revelation. Remember him in Broadcast News? Lost In America? Mother? This is a whole different actor. He's menacing and terrifying and may be getting an Oscar for this.