An unexpected enjoyable ride.

Rating: 7/10 (12 February 2012)

Despite good reviews, good box office and starring Ryan Gosling, I had very little interest in seeing "Drive." But, with an Oscar nomination for Best Sound Editing, it finally ended up on my list.
And it's a pretty good film! I found it interesting that from the opening of the film, with the old-school electro beats and a title font that is reminiscent of old 80s films like "The Flamingo Kid," my expectations went up. And they weren't necessarily let down.
"Drive" is about a guy, played by the ever-gorgeous Ryan Gosling, known only as, you guessed it, The Driver, who works as a stunt driver on films and as a mechanic...and on the side, he is a for-hire getaway driver for criminals. After meeting his lovely neighbour, Irene (played by Carey Mulligan, Oscar-nominated in 2009 for "An Education") and falling for her, when her husband is released from prison and needs help on a heist, The Driver steps up to help the woman he has fallen for and her son by helping her husband. And the heist goes terribly wrong and subsequently puts everyone in his life in jeopardy.
With an absolutely amazing soundtrack and some graphic uber-violence, along with a couple of very effective car chase scenes, "Drive" is a pretty good action film that has it's moments and is extremely well-written and well-acted. Gosling is stoic but effective as the mysterious Driver while Mulligan continues to impress. However, many speculated that Albert Brooks , nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as a mob guy, would get an Oscar nomination, but I felt the performance by multiple-Emmy-Award-winning Bryan Cranston was far more memorable. Rounding out the effective cast is Oscar Isaac, Ron Perlman and "Mad Men"'s Christina Hendricks.
A very odd story about a real left-of-centre hero, "Drive" is a surprisingly enjoyable ride.