Drive

Rating: 9/10 (30 May 2012)

I am not a big fan of action movies. So it perhaps comes as a bit of a surprise to me that my favorite movie of 2011,Drive, is an action film. Or maybe not. Because Drive is much more than just an action movie. Categorizing Drive as just an action movie would be like saying The Dark Knight was just a superhero movie. One complain I often have with films of this genre is that manufactured 'thrills' are provided at the expense of character development. Mostly, it's all car chases and gunshots and explosions- but if one doesn't feel for the characters, would one really care what happened to them?
Drive, directed by Nicholas Winding Refn (whose previous credits include the Pusher trilogy and Bronson), manages to achieve a rare feat-it mixes style and substance into one bloody brilliant cocktail.
"I drive" says Driver (yes, Ryan Gosling plays a character with no name) and that's pretty much what he does. He drives for the movies (as a stunt double) by day and works as a getaway driver by night. He is a man of very few words and we get no knowledge of his past. Ryan Gosling is absolutely fantastic in the role and the sheer intensity he brings to the screen is wonderful. He doesn't do a whole lot of talking, but his eyes speak volumes. It isn't often that there is a character as intriguing and exciting as Driver in an action film or rather a film of any genre. The character is also given a couple of nice touches and details – the toothpick and the scorpion jacket he wears (which is just the coolest things around), for example.
The first scene sets the tone for the film- signals that this is not going to be your standard action flick. Anyway the scene is quite unusual and effective – a car chase scene which relies on skilled and strategic driving rather than speeding and colliding. There is near to no dialog and lets us know that there's nothing Driver can't do when he's behind the wheels.
The plot involves Driver getting close to his neighbor Irene (played nicely by Carey Mulligan) and her son and soon with the turn of events landing into a whole lot of trouble after that. They are the only 'human contacts' for Driver other than the owner of the garage he works in, played by Bryan Cranston. Irene's husband who was earlier in prison gets out of prison, but he has to pull one last job – for which Driver agrees to help him out. And the heist goes all wrong leading to quite a few people going after Driver's life.
But the film, for me at least, is not about plot. It's about characters, and the film has the feel of something like a dreamy mood piece (in a large part due to its beautiful cinematography and pulsating music-'Nightcall' and 'A real hero' are the high points of the soundtrack).
One of the things I absolutely loved about Drive was the way it treats its action sequences, which often enter into violent territory. Each scene has a special something to it, making it distinct and edgy, rather than repetitive. In almost all action movies, after a point of time the action sequences get predictable- more cars and stuff to blow up and endless car chases.
Drive has some breathtaking action packed sequences. There are two scenes that are particularly memorable and noteworthy. The first one involves Driver in a strip club armed with a hammer and a bullet – Gosling is dynamite in the scene, burning up the screen with his intensity (I think I have used the word 'intensity' more than once- the movie sure is intense). The second one is a mesmerizing scene taking place in an elevator. It is a brilliantly directed scene, and has a dreamlike quality to it. The scene features both the most romantic and the most violent moments I've seen in recent times. The elevator ride turns from heaven to hell in a matter of seconds.
I also thought the romantic angle between Driver and Irene was handled superbly .The subtle and understated romance has more chemistry than many standard romantic films.
Albert Brooks as the bad guy does a fine job and is a menacing presence, especially in couple of scenes with involving a fork(!) and a razor blade(!) .
The film ends on the right note, and the ending is just as good as the rest of the film. Drive ends just the way it should. Melancholic and bittersweet would perhaps be the right words for the ending. Drive is a hell of an exciting ride and it is just what movies should be – exhilarating and intoxicating.