by Carrie Quartly
‘Drive’ to your local movie theatre!
I was idly checking the cinema listings on 2for1 Wednesday when I stumbled across Drive, a critical triumph with a great cast, including multi-talented indie prince Ryan Gosling in the lead role, so I decided to give it a go!
Initially coming to our attention in The Notebook as just another Hollywood ‘heartthrob’, as front man for the cool, ghoulish Dead Man’s Bones and putting in an outstanding performance in last year’s poignant romantic drama Blue Valentine, Gosling is swiftly becoming one of the hottest names on the scene.
His goofy charm and good looks effortlessly add layers to his characters, and in Drive, he is both an unpredictable sociopath and a vulnerable loner trying to protect the people he loves.
He says very little, a twist of a smile on his lips or an icy stare as he curls his leather driving gloved hands into fists are the two main things that betray the mood he’s in.
He works as a part time mechanic for mentor/father figure Shannon (Bryan Cranston), wears creepy rubber heads as a movie stunt car driver, and also moonlights as a wheelman for stick-up jobs. He’s intelligent and methodical and knows how to get away clean. One day he moves into a new apartment building, and a friendship develops between his nervous and fragile neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son Benicio. There are long lingering shots without dialogue, Carey Mulligan fixing a clip in her hair in front of the mirror, or the pair smiling apprehensively at one another, which give the scenes a touching intimacy as the troubled characters bond.
The tender romantic tension between Gosling and Mulligan is abruptly halted in its tracks when Benicio’s father (Oscar Isaac) returns home from prison. It soon becomes clear her husband still has bad influences in his life, putting the squeeze on him for unpaid debts (with interest), and when Irene and Benicio are threatened, Gosling’s Driver decides to do the chivalrous thing and step in.
Events then rapidly spiral out of control when a greedy Ron Perlman with a chip on his shoulder decides to steal from the mob, and a cold-blooded Albert Brooks is on hand to clean up the mess.
There are some scenes of really savage violence, which seem to be a particular trademark of Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (forks plunged through eyeballs, hammers smashing teeth, and a particularly gruesome skull kicking, which actually had me wincing and twisting in my chair), so it is definitely not a film for the faint-hearted! But at the same time, there are thrilling shots of the Los Angeles skyline and The Driver behind the wheel at night as the 80’s styled electro-synths pulse, giving the film a romantic, dream-like quality.
Do not be mistaken; despite the film’s title and the prominent role of the car dashboard tachometer, this is NOT another Transporter/Fast and Furious brainless action and exploding cars franchise. This is seriously cool stuff. The car chases are neatly staged adrenaline set pieces; they do not outstay their welcome or sidetrack the storyline, and the sudden bursts of violence rip through the frame with a jolt that would make even the most hardened moviegoer jump. While very little is actually shown, the sound design team certainly know how to conjure grisly images in our minds!
As Gosling said, “I always wanted to make a violent John Hughes movie.” and I can see what he means – his moody, toothpick chewing character is an unsettling cross between John Bender and Travis Bickle, and even the neon pink screen title font is straight out of an 80’s teen flick!
Drive seems destined to become a cult classic, a well-oiled mix of retro, art house, and action thriller that’s as competent and slick on our screens as Gosling is in the driver’s seat!
BIO – Carrie Quartly
I am a transplanted American and music obsessive living in England. Also an avid animal lover and fan of Japanese art toys. I write about my favorite subjects as a hobby and like nothing more than life altering live experiences and supping oddly named cocktails.
image credit: all images and videos © 2011 Film District
