A Thinking Person's Heist Movie

Rating: Null/10 (29 September 2011)

The movie "Drive" is a sort of anti-action heist thriller. There's a heist, there's action, and there's graphic violence, but it is all background atmosphere. Speaking of atmosphere, the movie certainly thrives on it, from the beginning and sustains it, never rushing or telegraphing the next event. It all hangs on a good character driven story where the viewer becomes invested in the protagonist even while feeling a voyeuristic wall due to the central characters utter lack of emotion . You bet the only real feeling he possesses must be a bizarre chivalrous code. You do not anyone like this, but you feel empathy. The strangely out of place, 80's synth driven soundtrack is eerily off-putting helping to create a general unease. The cinematography is artful, it's brightly lit yet claustrophobic and dour, strangely devoid of the California warmth which appears regularly as a counterpoint. The whole it creates keeps the viewer nervous, off-balance with a sense of dread. There is a quite storm brewing which is constructed in a truly excellent way, the director understands and accomplishes an imposing journey as the slow reckoning develops.
Ryan Gosling makes this movie. His cool remove serves the excellent script perfectly, you get the feeling you are not watching a A-list actor playing a roleYou are watching a real person in a hellish situation doing whatever it takes to get out. Supporting him is a very able cast which includes Albert Brooks in a very different light and he's quite good with limited screen time. Ron Perleman is a sickly menacing gangster who never liked being allowed to work at the "mobs" digression and steps out on his own, no longer taking leftover crumbs while the real money flows upward. Cathy Mulligan plays a romantic interest to Ryan Gosling, she turns in a key character performance requiring great finesse and nuance as there is limited dialog involved, that is likely more difficult than delivering linesimpressive. Brian Cranston from Breaking Bad fame plays an aged luckless loser who has believes his last chance at redemption for his own misses ride on the other worldly driving skills of Ryan Gosling's "Driver" character; it works because you fear he is going to finally sink and take his protégé with him. Christina Hendricks from Mad Men has a serviceable cameo. All in all, an excellent cast given a decent story which is directed deftly by rising director (definitely rising faster since Driver') Nicolas Winding Refn, this movie gets a strong recommendation.