Suspenseful, Brilliantly Directed, Well-Paced, Oscar-Nomination Deserving

Rating: 10/10 (25 October 2011)

Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn; Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks; Based on the book, "Drive" by James Sallis.
"Drive" takes its audience on a journey that is seemingly avoid of road signage. Fortunately, the movie is not a wreck! It challenges its audience through an an unrelenting, unapologetic vision: In doing good, or trying to make things right, does the consideration of moral consequence really matter? The answer is found by the end of the film (though subject to your own personal philosophy),
Refn uses Los Angeles as if he were Michael Mann (see "Heat" and "Collateral"). Anyone who has seen "Bronson" or the "Pusher Trilogy" can attest to the capability of this man to stage slow-burn or demonstrate patience (though perhaps to the chagrin of the audience) in accomplishing his design. The city, predominantly seen through a pane of glass whether a building window or windscreen, is harrowing. Its characterization is the foundation of the lives of these people who are called to make choices, which either they regret, have to run away from, or follow-through on.
The film is shrewdly edited, allowing extremely vivid depictions and downplaying others, leaving the narrative and actors to work in that space via languid film shots, contrasted with sporadic bursts of action. The use of natural lighting appropriately softens the film as needed, especially as we grow to understand what "drives" or is important to the characters played by Gosling and Mulligan. The narrow hallways, confined and cramped spaces, colored filters all give tremendous depth to the feeling that things are not perhaps as they seem.
It is yet is in these precisely the well-crafted moments of anxiety, despair, hope and shock that we the audience are placed squarely at the centre of the movie's heart, Ryan Gosling. Anyone who doubts whether this man can act, needs to see "Lars and the Real Girl" to put that question to rest. At once, he is charming, boyish, harmless, frail, strong, principled and purpose-driven! His mere act of chewing on a toothpick or putting on gloves conveys the essence of this character. Mulligan's role whilst important is grossly underplayed, but I think this is on purpose; I may have to revisit that assessment though, noting that lone other important female character (Hendricks) is underutilized, but effective. The movie really does belong to Gosling. Brooks and Perlman, are as usual very dependable and a delight to watch.
Further deliberating on Mulligan's performance, I have come to appreciate it, as this is where the film works on another level....its Soundtrack. The opening credits of the film looks like something out of the 80s, so I gather synthesized pop sounds (making great use of the fader, by the way), and lyrics would be the order of the day is the order of the day! The effect though is mesmerizing and even heightens/advances the relationship of Mulligan and Gosling and pre-supposes what could be possibly going through their heads at precise moments. In essence, operating almost like a musical!
This is truly film making at its finest and "Drive" is definitely one of the year's best films.