Movie Review: 'Drive'

Rating: 5/5
by Brian Kesler 

'Drive' is relentless. It is not only a great car movie, a great action movie, and a great mob movie, it is also an involving character study. Ryan Gosling gives a performance as haunting as Robert DeNiro's Travis Bickle in 'Taxi Driver.' Much of the film reminded me of 'Taxi Driver,' including the well photographed, smartly paced, unwinding violence. 'Drive' is shamelessly retro and among the greatest action movies in the last half-century.

Gosling opens the film as the driver in a robbery. He escapes the police not with fast driving and impossible stunts, but by observing his surroundings and utilizing all of his resources. He is controlled and serene. He is determined, yet unfazed. The thrill of the heist, of the chase, of the escape, don't seem to deter him. The character has no name, simply The Driver. In Scorsese's 'Taxi Driver,' Peter Boyle gives a finessed monologue which plants the idea that a man is no more than what he does. The Driver puts that idea to the test. He drives through life as nonchalant and uninvolved as he drives his car. That is, until he meets Irene, played with wonderful yearning by Carrie Mulligan. Irene and her son, Benicio spark a strange obsession in The Driver, until he puts his life on the line to avenge Irene's murdered husband.

Gosling should be considered one of the greatest actors of this generation. He restlessly scouts out projects with the most demanding characters (such as the intriguing 'Lars and the Real Girl'), and he's unafraid to immerse himself completely in the role. It is impossible to take your eyes off him in 'Drive.' His performance is so subtle and controlled. The film observes people and characters through silence rather than filling their mouths with useless expositionary dialogue. As The Driver starts to unwind and show his disturbing, violent nature, we find ourselves on his side. Not many actors can achieve such a feet, but Gosling does it with the slightest shift of his eyes.

The film's photography and editing combine to create one of the best looking and smartly paced films of the year. No headache inducing quick-cutting, which is designed to make the audience think more is happening than what the sloppy photography shows (Michael Bay anyone?). No, director Nicolas Winding Refn has organized the film perfectly. From camera placement and movement (excellent steady-cam work), to every single cut, down to the last frame. It is a nostalgic call to what action films used to be - smart and involving.

Speaking of nostalgia, the score is undeniably 80s, which surprisingly accelerates the film, rather than upsetting its cerebral nature. Every action scene is scoreless. The sound design revs our adrenaline and builds our emotions without the crutch of music. But when the music is used, it is bold, exciting, and carefully underscores just the right moments.

Not since Tarantino's 'Inglorious Basterds' have I been this enthusiastic about a new movie. Among all the lifeless movies I sit through week after week, it's sometimes easy to forget how invigorating films can be. They let us escape into new worlds, explore humanity, and they elevate our imaginations. They get us emotionally involved with characters and places. They can show us new ways of looking at people, at culture, at life. They can haunt and disturb us, and force us to think. This film does all of the above with style, finesse, great performances, and truly great direction. 'Drive' is one of the great American movies.