Drive, an adaptation of James Sallis’ novel, is the story of a man, known simply as the Driver (Ryan Gosling), who by day is a Hollywood stunt driver and at night he is an independent wheelman for armed heists. The Driver is a strong, independent type of guy who keeps to himself but makes sure he never compromises his principles when interacting with others like his boss, Shannon (Bryan Cranston). One day he meets the beautiful Irene (Carey Mulligan), his neighbor in his apartment building. Eventually he falls in love with her and her son, becoming one of the family as her husband sits in prison. When her husband is released and he is forced to pay back his prison debts the Driver offers to help in order to protect the rest of the family. When things go terribly wrong during the heist, two powerful criminals, Nino (Ron Perlman) and Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks), decide that Irene and her son must be eliminated to avoid any problems in the future. It is at that point when the Driver turns from a guy trying to protect a family to an offensive force to be reckoned with.
The film, which is directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Pusher), is a slow burning piece of cinema that teaches you the value of patience and how it can be a powerful factor when building up a story to, what I’d call, a wild climax. You sit in the theater begging it to move faster but by the end you’re happy it moved slow because it allows you to soak up Ryan Gosling’s Oscar nominee worthy performance along with the fantastic cinematography and hardcore action. My chief complaint about the tempo is that Refn used the slow motion technique a lot during scenes in which the Driver and Irene had an emotional connection and then held it for too long. It was appropriate at times but I just think the duration of the slow motion was a bit long and excessive.
Drive opens with a tense and slow moving chase scene that introduces you to the Driver’s unbelievable talents and strict code of conduct which helps you understand his character from the get go. It’s from that moment on when you are introduced to the other characters, learn about all the relationships and wonder how this good natured guy could turn into one of the most badass mofos you’ve ever seen in a quality thriller.
Refn has put together a brilliant film that had me mesmerized from beginning to end. It’s the kind of film that would make someone want to be a filmmaker after seeing it for the first time. Yes, it’s that powerful. The best part is that while Refn doesn’t use much violence, when he does use it, it is 
powerful, shocking and gruesome. To be honest though, my favorite aspect of the film may have been the films soundtrack/score. Cliff Martinez put together a synth-pop soundtrack that draws you into the film so deep you have no chance to escape its magnetic atmosphere that it creates around the story it’s telling. It was so good that I pre-ordered the soundtrack two hours after I saw the film.
What makes Drive so special is that while it is completely character driven and rests on Gosling’s great use of facial expressions and body language rather than dialogue, it also is very action driven. This kind of combination is very tricky to balance but when the two are in harmony the result is a phenomenal piece of work that will endure for ages to come (think Gangs of New York). A perfect example of this is during a scene in which Gosling enters a strip club to find the man who screwed over the heist. He enters the room, which is full of topless strippers, and crushes the guys hand with a hammer. It was such a tense scene that you barely noticed the hot woman because Gosling’s presence was so powerful and, not only that, he was beating the guy up with a hammer. So when you see the scene think of what I said about the balance of the character and acting versus the action.
I’ve talked about Gosling a lot but it is also important to note that the supporting cast did a terrific job as well throughout the film. Brooks, Mulligan, Cranston and Perlman kept the film afloat either through their wit, concern, looks, or humor. Each character had a certain level of understanding and reason to them but when everything spins into chaos it all became business which is what really makes this film feel real. Ron Perlman was my favorite supporting actor as the trash talking Italian Jewish mafioso.
Drive is probably my favorite film of the year and I think it may enter my list of all time favorite films. It had a huge impact on me and I think it’ll have a lasting impact on everyone that sees it due to its compelling story and wonderful direction. I really hope that people in the Academy deem it worthy of Oscar nominations because, while there may be stiff competition from films that have yet to be released, you can’t ignore the high quality of the performances, score, directing and writing.
Rating: Hands down one of the best films of 2011 and is now required viewing for all movie lovers (9.5/10)
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