Buckle up, the next stop is Oscarville

Rating: 9/10 (29 September 2011)

I was expecting an Aronofsky rendition of "The Fast and the Furious".
I was wrong.
Brilliant in almost every way, it's the best film I've seen this year. Gosling plays a character reminiscent of Travis from Taxi Driver. The focus of the film isn't chrome spinners or 10 second booty-shots, as a modern car film would suggest. It's smart and stylish without coming off strongly in either direction. The supporting cast were effective as well, especially Mulligan and the unusually cast Albert Brooks. We get to see the big funny-man in a not-so-funny light. Small pockets of extreme violence. Think Death Proof or A History of Violence as far as the action/thriller pacing is concerned.
The music and sound in general rivals Tron Legacy or even this year's Hannah.
Drive will more than likely be looked over considering what it's up against, it's box office pull will undoubtedly reflect this. But isn't that the usual story? Financial flops are usually of critical success and vice versa? Anyhow, this film has ... driven ... my expectations of the genre to new speeds.
Uh... you get the picture! Go out and see it!