More than a car film.

Rating: 9/10 (19 February 2012)

You wouldn't expect 'Drive' to be so subtle, you would expect it to be a high-octane thriller with a new twist every step of the way. I'm glad it was not as I had expected, I was pleasantly surprised with this film.
The acting is good, the down-played dialogue between practically all of the characters works well for the most part. Ryan Gosling is excellent and because this is the first film I have seen him in I would be convinced to watch more of his roles. The main thing that I noticed with the dialogue was even when Gosling and Carey Mulligan's characters were not talking, you couldn't help but smile. It's very difficult to evoke emotion from the audience with hardly any dialogue. At some points it can be slightly frustrating however, there are some points where you desperately want someone to say something!
The car chased and car scenes in general are brilliant. For too long we have seen the CGI routines of the Fast and Furious series on the big screen and we often mistake that for talent. 'Drive' shows us how a car chase should be shot!
The music has a great impact on this film, the 80s style techno music alongside the beautiful camera work in scenes with Gosling and Mulligan convert LA's littered streets and landscape into sheer beauty.
The script is extremely clever, for at least an hour the film is slow moving but good, with the characters all getting along well and slowly we see the protagonist become more and more violent - the violence in this film can be quite shocking and is extremely graphic in some points.
I have never been a tremendous fan of car films but this is an exception. I wouldn't even say it is a car film, it focuses a lot more on human relationships despite most shots being in the interior of a car. I can see why this was one of the films of 2011, it fools you on numerous occasions and leaves you thinking 'wow'. I would strongly recommend this film to anyone, even if you're not a fan of car films, you will still enjoy this film greatly.