A shame such films are considered a "masterpiece of cinema"

Rating: 3/10 (20 January 2012)

Ryan Gosling is a stunt driver / wheel man / worker in a garage who suddenly feels empathy because his neighbour's incarcerated husband is released and returns home. Why the empathy and the helping hand? Because he gets beaten and is kindly asked to re-pay his previous employers for the service they'd provided him with while in prison (they want the protection money with, of course, interests).
Things go from bad to worse and Ryan suddenly becomes the overprotective neighbour; the hero who saves the day by going after the bad guys one- by-one. At this point the film's slow pace quickly changes and while it'd normally take time to enjoy the different circumstances the creators made sure I got disgusted by Drive's gruesome handling of every situation where two enemies meet.
This film is full of gore. Ryan's one liners make it even worse. Oh, but wait, sometimes he smiles! There is no need to say anything; a smile can really tell you everything. Drive is an awful film: from start to finish; it's pacing, the plot, the characters (development?) and an unsatisfactory ending that cries out for a better screenplay.
It is a shame such a movie is given high rates. It is OK if you don't want to follow the good-old clichés and if you want to try out something different. It is OK if you employ techniques, effects, cinematography that keep the audience focused. It is NOT, good, however, if you go off the beaten track. Perhaps, next time more emphasis will be on the plot and less on the excessive use of violence.