mesmerizing

Rating: 8/10 (5 March 2012)

Finally watched it and I must say it was quite different in many ways from what you expect from an action entertainer. It is a classic noir, a throwback to the 70's with its synthesizer-pop music soundtrack that will knock your socks off. It stars Ryan Gosling (can't believe the year he has had) as Hollywood stuntman by day and wheelman by night. He begins to have a soft spot for his neighbor. Things go sideways, when he decides to help out his neighbor's husband for a job. Now what makes this unique is the way the movie has been treated. Without a name or a back story on why he behaves the way he behaves, it is left to the viewers' to imagine how he could be so calm, composed, poised at one instance and do a 360 degrees turn when the occasion demands. While Gosling has really underplayed the protagonist with his broody eyes and his constant smirk, he still delivers a solid act and is ably assisted by an excellent supporting crew. Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks & Ron Perlman just add more star power to this venture. Add to this, the drive sequences & the car chases which are exquisitely shot over the LA landscape. IMDb has already picked that one scene as its top 10 for 2011, when Gosling enters the night club with a hammer in his hand, ready to obliterate his target. It becomes apparent then and there that this guy is no stranger to extreme violence when the situation calls for it. That sets the tone for things to come and its only wise if you step out of his way. Critics & audience have been divided over it with extreme reactions. While many found the tone of the movie to be slow, languid with minimalistic dialogues, there have been comparisons of its extreme (in your face) violence to Eastern Promises. If you are open to new experiences, this will not disappoint you.