Awful first half, awesome second half

Rating: 6/10 (11 September 2015)

For a movie to have a 1 hour and 40 minute run time where the plot doesn't kick in until the 50 minute mark or so is always grating on me. Its even more grating for the film Drive, which has an awesome plot crammed into its second half, forcing me to sit through nearly an hour of Ryan Gosling Looking Intently At Things.
There's not much to be said for the first half. Boy meets girl, boy meets girls' son, they all bond and he grows attached to them. Given the ease in which this happens, you'd think that this might have happened at least one or two times in the past. Drive is way too coy trying to conceal the Driver's name - Bryan Cranston's Shannon calls him "kid", and everyone else seems to get by saying "hey" or "you". It found it irritating after a while, rather than mysterious, and I was nearly shouting at Mulligan's/Isaac's/Brooks' characters "YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THE MAN'S NAME WHY ARE YOU TRUSTING HIM".
Gosling stares a lot in the first 50 minutes, but in the second act he shows a lot more acting talent. He's cool and collected behind the wheel, but there's also emotion keyed to a fever pitch in later scenes. I sometimes wish Hollywood would stop trying to make Ryan Gosling happen and leave him in romcoms, but I can't deny he's got talent. In Drive's stellar supporting cast is the incredible Oscar Isaac, who moulds the jealous husband character into something novel and keeps showing the incredible depth that makes him one of the greatest actors of his generation. Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks also hugely impress as a pair of Jewish mobsters - Brooks in particular is amazing. Bernie Rose is ruthless but surprisingly honest. A pivotal scene with a razor blade speaks volumes about his performance. I didn't like the end very much, but as a climax for the incredible crime thriller that was Drive's second half, I'll tolerate it.
There's some incredible action (read violent) scenes in this film, and I feel that the film would have suffered without it. Director Nicolas Winding Refn certainly knows how to direct a superb action sequence. A scene in the lift with Mulligan, Gosling and a hit-man is beautifully executed as an action sequence and a piece of drama. The cinematography on this film is absolutely breathtaking as well, on normal shots as well as exhilarating car chase scenes. I found the film's score to be absolutely disgusting, especially that awful techno song that plays over the opening credits.
The camera-work, action, Oscar Isaac and Albert Brooks are best in show, but you could just as easily find entertainment in another movie that doesn't circle the block aimlessly for fifty minutes of your time.