Tarantino, Mann, and ostentatious 1980s references

Rating: 7/10 (26 March 2013)

The plot: A getaway driver gets involved in the lives of his next door neighbors, when they run afoul of mobsters.
I'm a big fan of Refn's Pusher trilogy, but this film failed to live to the enormous hype. I'm a fan of minimalism, art house films, exploitation films, and electronic music, but there was something that was just off about this movie. To some extent, I think it's because it was constantly reminding me of Michael Mann and Quentin Tarantino.
It was moody, atmospheric, and just as violent and nihilistic as I was expecting, given that it's a Refn movie. No complaints there. I was also impressed with how much Refn accomplished, given the minimalist style. There's very little dialogue, and almost none of it comes from the protagonist. He seems to communicate almost entirely through nonverbal cues. However, the story just didn't really grab me. It's easier for me to get behind a minimalist story like Halloween (disturbed man tries to kill his sister), Assault on Precinct 13 (crooks siege a precinct), or The Thing (monster hunts down researchers), because they're properly minimalist. John Carpenter knows how to prune down a script to just the barest essentials until there's absolutely nothing left but the high concept pitch he used to sell it. When it comes to Drive, it seems like Refn wants to have his cake and eat it, too. It's got complex neo-noir elements mixed in with the minimalist style, and I'm left wondering why he didn't just commit one way or the other.
Maybe with repeat viewings I'll come to appreciate it like all the raving fans. As it stands, I liked it, but I don't think it was the best movie of all time. I don't even think it was Refn's best movie. The Pusher trilogy is what made me a Refn fan, and it seems as though he might be moving away from that style (inspired by Dogme 95).