Transformations

Rating: 10/10 (2 February 2012)

DRIVE is a fascinating character study, one that uses a minimum of words to define a complex character in a manner than seems terrifyingly quiet and mesmerizing. Based on a book written by James Sallis the screenplay is the minimalist yet secure writing of Iranian writer Hossein Amini (Wings of the Dove, The Four Feathers, Jude, Shanghai, Kill Shot, etc). Nicolas Winding Refn is the sensitive director who takes advantage of the pauses in the storyline, allowing cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel to bring this mysterious story to life.
An unnamed young man referred to as Driver (Ryan Gosling) is a loner, holding down several jobs as a Hollywood stunt driver, a garage mechanic, and a getaway driver who participates in robberies as a silent, by his own rules driver. He works for garage owner, the crippled Shannon (Bryan Cranston) who in turn works for criminals Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) and Nino (Ron Perlman). Driver meets his apartment house neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son Benicio (Kaden Leos) and while there seems to be a chemistry quietly building between them, Driver is told that Irene's husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) has been in prison and will be coming home soon. Driver, Irene and Benicio bond and when Standard is finally released from prison Driver learns that Standard owes a huge protection debt and to befriend the only people about whom Driver cares, he agrees to help in a getaway car that turns very wrong. From this point the normally gentle and quiet driver transforms into a brutal man and the rest of the film is full of terror.
Ryan Gosling is splendid in his role as the driver, saying more with his eyes and his body language and his silences than many actors say with a full script. Carey Mulligan is likewise strong and the supporting roles by Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Bryan Cranston, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, James Biberi and even Russ Tamblyn (!) are superlative cameos. This is a tough film, full of graphic violence, but it is such a unique story and is so well acted and directed that it is one of the year's most surprising quality movies.
Grady Harp