Silence never sounded so good

Rating: 8/10 (24 November 2011)

Drive captivated my senses from beginning to end, and left me overwhelmed by its execution. The satisfaction comes from the detail. Every aspect of the film has been carefully considered.
The mood created for the story is superb. It is a dark gritty LA, where criminalisation is undertaken with the utmost professionalism (similar to Heat). Its film noir darkness, Scorcese stylised ultra-violence, and the Michael Mann driving/aerial cityscapes, all pay homage to great genre films of the past. But Drive still retains its own identity. The story is played out with real intensity. The characters all garner the audience's attention, and there is no dull moments or padded scenes, as every interaction, every piece of dialogue, works to propel the story forward, and harness one's interest.
The protagonist of the film, Ryan Gosling, is the ultimate anti-hero. You have a real affinity with him, and always sense his power and underlying good nature. Gosling's character uses barely any dialogue, and only opens his mouth when absolutely necessary. His ability to listen intently whilst taking in his surrounds, never feeling the need to speak just for the sake of it, is refreshing, and can't help but be admired. He is slick without the need for style, cool without intention, and dangerous to anyone that challenges his abilities, values, or his simple desire to set things right. He is one of the most appealing film characters in some time, and Gosling's portrayal is exquisite.
My favourite part of the film was the sound design. As soon as you hear that first hum of Gosling's car engine from the inside, I was hooked. Eliminating the outside street noise, and focusing solely on the sounds from inside a vehicle, had the ability to personalise the reality of a getaway driver. The hum of the engine, the ticking of the watch, the radio commentary, the nervous fiddling, along with the all important police sirens ever increasing in decibels as they close the distance, yet always slightly muffled by the closed capsule that is a car's interior. Every sound effect is presented subtlety, yet drenched in substance.
One particular shotgun blast almost pierces the ears in a very quiet scene, which only helps to magnify the vicious intent of the act. But what also works so well to emphasise the potency of the blast, is the use of silence. As mentioned, this same school of thought is applied to the main protagonist, who finds strength in silence rather than speech. At pinpoint times throughout the film, silence engulfs a scene, and instantaneously adds extra depth. The sound puts you at grips with the story's flow, then the silence almost means one's breathing becomes a part of the soundtrack.
The music accompanies the sound design flawlessly, with a mix of vocalised pop structured songs, and a minimal instrumental score. When injected, the vocalised tracks immediately came to the fore (specifically 'Nightcall' and 'A Real Hero'), whilst the original score unassumingly adds its magic to keep you engaged, and most of all, emotionally responsive.
Drive is a coming together of all the elements that make a good film, executed thoughtfully. I think each viewer will find something within this film, which makes them reflect and appreciate. If not appreciate, then at least respect, as it truly is a modern day classic, and I believe it will be talked about for years to come.