Don't Mess With Stuntmen

Rating: 8/10 (26 December 2012)

Drive is a movie that's been on my radar for quite some time (especially after it showed up seemingly out of nowhere and garnered almost universal critical praise). After a colleague mentioned in passing that it was unexpectedly dark and well worth a look-see, I set aside 100 minutes this past Wednesday night to finally see what all the fuss is about.
The movie follows an enigmatic figure known only as "Driver." He's a mechanic and Hollywood stuntman who spends his nights as a wheelman for people pulling burglaries. He's quiet and, aside from the death-defying nature of both his day and night jobs, doesn't seem to have much of a "normal" life. He doesn't have any friends—apart from the gnarled shop owner who hired him some years prior—and seems consistently lost in thought. When he speaks, everyone listens (including viewers), because there's something magnetic about his persona. This is due to Gosling's impeccable depiction of an apparently tortured protagonist—I say "apparently" because even though we don't get any real back story it's clear that said Driver is constantly trying to overcome his own demons— and the crisp writing and direction. Things progress deliberately (which doesn't necessarily mean slowly), and each frame is saturated with emotional resonance.
Much to my surprise, Drive is, at its heart, a crime drama. The plot is fueled by an east coast/west coast mob fiasco that's directly related to a botched robbery attempt our Driver was involved in. There were moments where this nebulous MacGuffin felt a little cliché (echoes of a A History of Violence abound), but make no mistake: the tension is tangible from start to finish. In fact, I can't remember a recent offering within this genre was so methodical while also managing to foster a never wavering sense of dread that something horrendous was just around the corner (okay, maybe The Departed fits the bill, but you get the point).
Drive is like an otherwise perfect piece of fruit with a few minor imperfections. And like the bruised pear these are easily pared away, and what's left is one of the more engrossing crime-action thrillers of the past decade. Be sure to check it out.