Decent Film

Rating: 9/10 (1 November 2011)

Well I was a bit unsure what to expect with this film, I saw the rating which was high and then I looked at the reviews. There was more hated it reviews than loved it although the hated it reviews seemed to be expecting an action film. The loved it reviews waxed lyrical at its art and talked about film noir feel.
Well all I can say was it was a decent Film with good and bad points.
The Soundtrack was brilliant and this did a lot of the storytelling, whatever was missing from the dialogue was covered brilliantly by the soundtrack. For this alone the film may get a second viewing.
Cinematography was very good, I heard people mention film noir which I didn't really see and art house which again I never saw. For me it was just atmospheric and the shots merely gave you a close feeling to what was going on. You always felt close to what was happening rather than looking in from a distance.
The action in the film was good and to the point rather than long drawn out action scenes that I find boring, there are only so many crashes and explosions I can take and to be honest I've seen it all before. If I haven't seen it before then its usually something that is beyond belief and then I lose interest.
The acting is decent, the dialogue is rare at times and the film-makers rely heavily on expression and the 80% of how we communicate without speaking, something that film-makers forget about at times.
The story is basic so there is nothing new there at all and sometimes you struggle to believe it fully. So there is that added situation where you start questioning things and saying to yourself " that wouldn't happen " e.t.c There is at times a lack of momentum although in some reviews I read it seems people have no patience at all, the lack of momentum is replaced by atmosphere and feeling which is a refreshing change for most of it but at times can feel a little contrived.
If I'm being honest I preferred the film Bronson from the same director but this was in my opinion better than Valhalla Rising or Pusher. This guy certainly has an eye and ear for the audio and visual experience but I wonder if it only works with a certain type of viewer.
Overall I gave it a 7 out of 10, The IMDb rating seems slightly high and then there is a lot of reviewers who gave it a 1 which is madness.
If your expecting a high adrenalin action popcorn flick with nitro boosters and lots of crashes in all the gory detail then you won't find it here. If you want to watch a decent film about a stunt driver/getaway driver who has affection for his female neighbour and who gets himself a bit too deep then this will suit you fine. There is a little bit of action a little bit of violence, a little bit of romance, and lashings of coolness but very little emotion.
If you do find the first 30 or 40 mins slow then bear with it just don't expect the Nitro's or explosions !!