A true Masterpiece (I'll explain why I'm not exaggerating)

Rating: 10/10 (24 October 2018)

Drive is probably one of the best films ever made. Do not think I take those words lightly. From plot, to script, to character building, to direction, to acting, to cinematography, to sound design, everything in this film is painstakingly thought out, developed, and executed. Unfortunately, in it's brilliance of execution, it's made to look so effortless, that I couldn't make up my mind almost until the end about whether the fact that it seemed that every last thing had been thought about, was intentional and genius to the extreme, or just pleasant coincidence. Indeed, some viewers, who would approach this film without an ability or desire to appreciate the intentionality of every last detail, would be forgiven their opinion of the film as boring and slow. Nevertheless, Drive is a masterpiece.
Reminiscent of the lone cowboy films of the mid century and later, Refn's modern take on the theme, is a beautifully portrayed artwork with a neo-noir feeling to it. The excellent cinematography, lighting design, sound design, and art design, all led masterfully by the direction of Nicolas Winding Refn, make this film one of the most multi-sensorily absorbing and satisfying feasts you would get a chance to experience. The tension is artfully built and maintained, and released in sudden bursts, in gorgeously choreographed high intensity scenes. But what I, personally, cherished the most in this film, was how it has a multitude of layers, which are skillfully peeled back by the director as the film progresses, all the while being stunningly underpinned by Ryan Gosling's powerful performance. Refn has always had a penchant for working with method actors, with Tom Hardy in Bronson, and Mads Mikkelson in Valhalla Rising standing testament to that fact; and Gosling is no different. He portrays the dichotomy of the strong but silent, ruthless but caring, powerful but gentle, and criminal but good-hearted lead character adroitly. Carey Mulligan, does a wonderful job portraying his sweet, timid, and lovely opposite number. With a support cast, including Mulligan, of Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks and Ron Perlman, the film is carried on able shoulders.
What impressed me the most was the sophisticatedly evolved level of restraint in storytelling, which enhances the film by understanding that what is excluded is equally important to the storytelling method, as what is included. Every character has been fleshed out to a fault, and the viewer is navigated on a journey through the complex web of motivations and decisions of every one of them. The viewer is made to constantly engage with each character as a result, and update his/her opinion on them with every passing scene in an attempt to understand them correctly. The film treads the fine line of the moral grey area with ease, where the viewer ends up rooting for the enigmatically complex lead character, despite him showcasing bouts of extreme violence.
A rivetting lead performance by Ryan Gosling, and an artistically talented and skillful film-making crew ensure an instant cult classic.