Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman, and Albert Brooks
Reviewer: Brett Gallman
Reviewer's Rating: **** (Four Stars)
Ryan Gosling’s character tells us he does one thing: he drives. He remains unnamed throughout the duration of the film, referred to simply as “The Driver.” This of course will remind us of Walter Hill’s 1978 film carrying that same title, but Refn’s film goes where that one would not--namely, into the life of its protagonist. He’s a virtuoso who is eventually defined not by his ability, but rather, his attempt to co-opt his criminal exploits for the noble cause of helping Irene, a young woman (Carey Mulligan) whose husband is entangled in the criminal underworld that he’s all too familiar with himself. His enigmatic nature and his attempt to do right by Irene and her son recalls Eastwood’s Man With No Name; there’s a great moment when The Driver is watching cartoons with the young boy and he wonders aloud if there aren’t any good sharks in the world--that’s the conflict at the surprisingly poignant heart of Drive.
When he’s introduced, Gosling exudes a detached, boyish charm whose accent betrays him as a kid from New York that’s wandered into LA. In many ways, he’s very reminiscent of Ryan O’Neal in The Driver until he unleashes the dark, vicious side that makes him that shark. Matched against a pair of fierce performances from villains Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks (who play a couple of sadistic mob types), Gosling’s driver is a terrifically realized bad guy trying to do good. The other star is director Refn, who matches the economy of Walter Hill with the aesthetic and narrative concerns of Michael Mann to create an intense, gripping picture. One feels the influence of 70s vigilante films in the raw violence, but it's also impossible to ignore the slickness to it all, from the gorgeous photography to the eclectic musical choices that range from Tangerine Dream-inspired synth work to poppy electric songs.
As this is a car movie, there’s a few chase sequences that are well done; however, Drive is often just as alluring as it is exciting. There are great stretches that simply feature Gosling simply riding through LA at night, and it’s almost soothing in its rhythm. I imagine that’s exactly how The Driver himself feels behind the wheel, and he’s at his most comfortable there despite his better efforts to leave that life behind. In terms of elevating pulp and taking the grindhouse to the arthouse, few films have done it better than this; both hypnotic and startling, Drive is one of the best films of the year.
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