Fresh take on the "Action Movie" formula

Rating: 8/10 (20 September 2011)

I enjoyed this film....
From the previews, it appeared to follow the standard action movie formula wherein the protagonist was impossibly tough, impossibly cool, and impossible to swallow. In one sense, "Drive" does follow this formula. In a broader sense however, "Drive" was one of the most original movies I have seen in a long time.
I think what made this film different were largely the characters. They had believable dialog, believable motives, and most importantly believable relationships with one another. Unlike most action movies, "Drive" did not try to carry itself on mayhem and special effects. Make no mistake, this is a violent film. But action and violence were simply part of the story, rather than being THE story. The film starts out almost as a "slice of life" that examines the lives and relationships between the central characters, with little story apparent in the first third of the movie. But gradually the story comes together, and everything for the characters falls apart, in a relatively petty bid for money and self interest. The way everything occurred almost reminded me of one of the "real life" crime shows one sees on TV. The plot in "Drive" is truly more believable than it is glamorous.
I thought Ryan Gosling's portrayal of driver at times took the moody silence thing a bit too far. There were times in the film where I wished I could shake him and scream "Speak!" But I gradually began to like the character he portrayed. I suppose he was a bit too confident, a bit too competent, and a bit too much of a "bad-ass" to really be believable. But this enhanced the movie rather than detracted from it. I guess that part is where the "suspension of disbelief" comes into it.
There has been a depressing lack of originality in the movie scene for some time now. I believe they are doing a re-make of "Spiderman" to go along with the remakes of "Batman" and "Superman".......
"Drive" is not only an enjoyable film, it deserves extra credit because it is original, it is something different from the standard movie fare.
I recommend moviegoers who are not put off by extreme violence go see this film. Fans of Quentin Tarentino in particular will enjoy "Drive".