Drove me the right way

Rating: 8/10 (11 January 2013)

I wasn't really too sure with what to expect with Drive. People were calling it an incredibly slow art-house movie, which I don't mind at all, I'm quite fond of the odd good art-house movie e.g. "We Need To Talk About Kevin" is a firm favourite of mine. I also had high expectations however, as a lot of people were raving about it like it was the greatest achievement of film ever! So I went in with an open mind and found myself being very fond of it. Drive is a film which I shall definitely give a second run around the block again.
Drive opens fantastically! It perfectly captures the dangers of being a get-away driver. It's a thrilling chase scene with Ryan Gosling trying to evade the police and is beautifully shot. It tries to rely more on realism than go for the cheap quick-cut and shaky-cam thrills which the Fast and the Furious franchise aims to deliver. Drive takes a slower pace and has much more of an interest in character than action, which is a good thing to me. The slow direction perfectly conveys the loneliness of Ryan Gosling, but also shows that he's in control. He's a severely calm and methodical person, who you wouldn't really like to get on the wrong side with.
The main show in Drive is the near-perfect directing, cinematography and lighting. Drive is a master-class in these elements as it's obvious that every shot was set up with great care and precision. There's not one piece of lighting out of place and the cinematography is quite astounding at times. It's incredibly easy on the eyes and carries a very cool charm with it. I loved the realism of the film and the shocking violence was used with reason, and almost reminiscent of a Haneke film, with short and shocking bursts of extreme violence. However, like Goodfellas, it is used to show the nasty and unglamourous side of the mob industry.
I also really liked the love story told. There's some chemistry between Ryan and Carey, and although they don't really say a lot to each other, the connection between them is definitely there. Things between to hot up when Carey's husband is released from jail and things take quite an unpredictable turn for the worst. The final half hour or so may be slow, but it is still undeniably thrilling and realistic. There a some beautifully shot sequences that will stay with me for a long time. The finale is also very gripping, and you care about the characters involved.
Overall, there's something about Drive that makes it unique and different to other films. It has certainly got under my skin and is an experience I shall look forward to again. The soundtrack perfectly engulfs the retro feel of the film and the directing is almost as stylish as Tarantino. Lovers of dialogue may be disappointed but there is certainly more dialogue than what some people say. I was expecting a film like "Hunger" where nothing's said for what feels like an hour, until a non-stop 15 minute talk-fest! Drive is nothing like that. It just takes a somewhat different and unconventional approach from the average Hollywood production. Drive's a film of quality and one I won't be forgetting in a hurry!