Drive is an Emotionally and Tonally Stylized ride

Rating: Null/10 (15 September 2011)

My review was originally posted in LimiteMagazine.com. See the link here: http://www.limitemagazine.com/2011/09/film-review-drive/
Drive is a highly stylized pulp noir action-drama from acclaimed Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Valhalla Rising, 2009). Ryan Gosling plays Driver, an inscrutable loner who is a stunt driver for Hollywood by day and the wheel man for armed heists by night. He instantly falls in love with his neighbor Irene, played by Carey Mulligan, and soon becomes part of her son Benito's life. When Driver learns that Irene's ex-con husband Standard, played by Oscar Isaac (Robin Hood, 2010), will soon return home from prison to reunite their family, Driver is willing to step aside. Unfortunately, Standard's past follows him home and Driver agrees to drive for one last job to settle Standard's debt. Nothing is what it seems, and Driver sets on a course to keep Irene and Benito safe at all costs.
Refn burst onto the scene at age 24 with the cult favorite Pusher (1996). His subsequent films gave him a reputation for highly stylized action and violence. Drive continues in this tradition, starting with casting. Having "indie darling" Ryan Gosling in an action-thriller as a 1970s Steve McQueen-type hero immediately sets the film on a different trajectory than most films of this genre. Albert Brooks, with his solid body of neurotic and nebbish characters, playing the mob-connected heavy helps set the stage that nothing is what it seems.
The amazing writing by novelist James Sallis and a strong adaptation by Oscar nominee Hossein Amini (The Wings of the Dove, 1997) introduces a bevy of supporting characters who are unforgettable, no matter how brief their time on screen. The incredible Bryan Cranston (TV's Breaking Bad) is a scene stealer with his role as Driver's agent, manager, and only friend. Isaac's sympathetic portrayal of Standard justifies Irene's love for him, despite his criminal ties. And Ron Perlman (Hellboy II: The Golden Army, 2008) turns in one of my favorite performances as the hot-headed muscle half of Brooks's crime organization.
The pacing of the film is unsettling at first. The use of slow motion seems random, particularly when used for everyday moments, like when Driver carries Benito into his apartment. At several points, a shot is held on an actor for quite a while, allowing an emotional recovery that contrasts the break-neck pace of the driving sequences. This pace mirrors Driver's emotions. He is cool and unshakable until the people he cares about are endangered, and then a fierce adversary is released. The intense violence in the film springs up without warning, revealing a side of human behavior we don't often see—that violence can be random and unstable. At first viewing, US audiences may not accept these moments after years of exposure to a quick-cutting style of action. However, in the hours after watching Drive, audiences will reconcile that Refn's direction has elevated this action-drama into the realm of film art.
One thing to note is that action, drama, and violence are not all this film has to offer. The blossoming romance between Driver and Irene has that intangible will-they-or-won't-they quality that other films can't seem to harness. The forbidden love between the characters is clearly evident, though it is accomplished with sparse dialog and virtually no physical contact between the actors. Whether a result of amazing chemistry between the actors or incredible direction, the anticipation this film creates with a simple touch of a hand far outshines films with out-and-out gratuitous sex.
I did find a few flaws. It is difficult to believe Driver falls in love with Irene at first sight as they share a ride in an elevator. (But perhaps that says more about me than the film.) He is an adrenaline junkie who is on set daily with Hollywood starlets; she is dressed in her diner waitress uniform. Even Carey Mulligan can't look irresistible in that outfit. Some of the pacing and music give the film an air of self-importance. After seeing Driver's near-mute style of communication and highly understated body language, the hairpin trigger that holds back his temper is hard to stomach, particularly in one scene where he expresses his true feelings for Irene in one moment, then brutally takes on an enemy in the elevator as Irene looks on in the next.
This film is a mix of high-powered action, intense drama, sweet romance, and irrepressible violence. There are also a few moments of laughter to top it all off. Drive is an inventive and entertaining ride.
Limité Rating: 3.5/5
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Writer: Hossein Amini (based on the novel by James Sallis)
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, Oscar Isaac, Albert Brooks
Genres: Action, Drama
Runtime: 120 min.
Release Date: September 16