life is a dangerous road

Rating: 7/10 (12 May 2015)

A review or two that I've read call Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive" the best movie of 2011. I wouldn't call it that, but it's an impressive one. Ryan Gosling plays a car repair man sees his life take a dangerous turn after he befriends a woman (Carey Mulligan) whose imprisoned husband (Oscar Isaac) owes a gangster protection money. There are some VERY nasty scenes in this movie.
This movie reminded me of Gosling's "Place Beyond the Pines", in which he also played a man whose life explodes into chaos. Neither movie is really an action movie. Both would more accurately get described as dramas about how a person's life can change almost in an instant. Probably the most surprising cast member was Albert Brooks, who plays a role very different from the roles that he's usually played (but does so very well, make no mistake about it). Another surprise appearance is that of Russ Tamblyn, who notably played one of the gang members in "West Side Story" (he more recently appeared in "Django Unchained").
I recommend the movie. This look at the underbelly of LA leaves little to the imagination. Definitely not for the squeamish, though.