"Drive" - A Riveting and Compelling Ride

Rating: 7/10 (11 September 2011)

Drive is a compelling film. The casting was spot-on. Gosling has presented us with a complex and strange character. He moves with stealth and a determined focus that is highly effective. I appreciated the fact that certain scenes contained sparse text. The chemistry between his character ("Driver") and Irene was palpable, without resorting to the maudlin. There was a lovely contrast between Driver, Irene (sensitively performed by Carey Mulligan), and her endearing son.
Newton Thomas Sigel and his team must be applauded for the cinematography. It was very finely rendered, with deep, rich shadows and subtle bits of light. In my estimation, the lighting in this film stands out as a true character, all its own.
Beth Mickle, who was the Production Designer, also did a stellar job. The interiors of apartment rooms had a genuine vibe to them, and her palette choice was wonderful.
So, why only 7 stars?
A handful of the songs were pumped up in volume, unnecessarily. This not only defeats the purpose of the song, but it is downright pushy to the audience. Don't get me wrong, I do not mind loud music, if effective. But for these songs with their redundant lyrics, I found it distracting.
Another bone of contention: some of the lines for the Albert Brooks character bordered on being cornball and unconvincing. Although he seemed to do his best on delivery, I found that several scenes were diffused in tension, because of the text. I trust that this was not the intention of either the director or the screenwriter.
Lastly, there were lovely character studies by Bryan Cranston and Christina Hendricks, but they both should have been given more screen time, to flesh out their motivations and nuances.