The Title Should Be "Drivel."

Rating: 2/10 (2 October 2011)

If you're the type person who can go to a gallery, stare at a canvas of random blotches, and cluck about metaphorical struggles of man vs himself, you can probably find some value in this film. Otherwise, don't waste your money.
Look down your snooty noses if you must, but the only people who admire this film are art house elitists who find value in anything that resembles avant garde. Face it, you are sheep just like the rest of us. This movie was overtly packaged and marketed to lovers of action and car chase genre. It does not deliver.
First, what is good. The cinematography is lovely. The opening five minutes are a tense, superbly crafted anti-chase chase scene. The settings are stark, but curiously beautiful.
From there, the story falls completely apart. Gosling spends most of his screen time staring at people or off into space. His character strains mightily to appear tough and sympathetic, a Bronson-esque righteous vengeance type, but ultimately transforms into a cold and psychotic machine. He is surrounded by equally misguided, wooden characters who are so utterly forgettable, the audience cannot care about them enough to hate them.
The plot is ridiculously improbable, full of holes, and descends quickly into a seminar on creative and grisly murder techniques. A complete waste of time and popcorn.
Ryan Gosling is, without a doubt, one of the new generation of brilliant young actors. He will delight us in ever greater roles. This isn't one of them.