Drove Me Happy

Rating: 9/10 (3 November 2014)

I'd heard good things about this movie before watching it, but I couldn't see, on the basis of its synopsis/trailer, what could possibly be so good about it. It just looked like a fairly conventional Hollywood action flick, and I'd never seen anything approaching interesting from Gosling himself. Turns out I was wrong on both counts.
I'd previously criticised the man on the basis he seems to have little to no emotional range, and mumbles a lot, but, in fairness, that is perfect for this surprisingly touching noir-style flick. The plot doesn't have much to it, and it doesn't really matter; I quite like that. Even though the characters don't speak that much, their body language alone, in particular that of the two leads (Mulligan is fantastic opposite Gosling), conveys far more than pages full of unnecessary, trite dialogue could have done. Add that to your other noir staples of a beautifully lit up setting, a mesmerising, ethereal soundtrack, and just the right amount of gratuitous violence, and you really have something worth watching.
There really is an art form to elevating seemingly run of the mill plot lines, characters, and events into an 'experience'. The genius cinematography gave me the same mystical feeling of wonder and just that vague, far-off something that Blade Runner gave me - the sort of thing that's hard to put into words. I did not expect something so atmospheric and downright beautiful going in, this really was something unexpectedly deep. 9/10.