My favorite movie of 2011.

Rating: 10/10 (17 June 2012)

I saw DRIVE at the Cannes Film Festival at the premiere. I was literally in the seats adjacent to this genius director. Harvey Weinstein was next to me.
The energy of this movie have had me blown away. I had all but lost my love of movies (I've been working as a sales agent for years selling terrible indie movies). I scored a ticket to DRIVE and figured I'd give it 20 mins and walk out if it sucked.
This movie was so perfect. It's ability to nail the era, to capture a feel I've seen in so few movies, it was a mix of grindhouse and vintage 80s LA that I didn't know could be captured. Straight forward, simple, and absolutely spell binding.
The crowd at the premiere was so into this movie, it was like we were all witnessing something. When Ryan Gossling stomped that guys skull in the elevator, the movie got a standing ovation full of whoots and cheers. Mind you, just the day before, I saw the press screening to Terrance Malick's TREE OF LIFE from which I counted at least 100 walk-outs. DRIVE really grabbed a hold of me (and the entire theatre) and took us to a place movies haven't taken me to in years.
GREAT F-ING MOVIE!!!! And if you show DRIVE to someone and they DO NOT like it??? Then you pretty much have understood both of you are on two completely different appreciation levels (don't knock the other person, just don't waste your time showing them beauty when they'll never appreciate it).