Drive
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring: Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston, Carey Mulligan, Ryan Gosling
Details: US/100mins 18
Gosling's character is never named and known only as "The Kid" when referred to by his boss, Shannon (a fantastically sleazy Brian Cranston), or "Driver" by anyone he works with. As a getaway driver there's no one better, and that skill seeps into his day job as a mechanic and stunt driver, too, working for the increasingly desperate Shannon. But just as his life starts to get comfortable, things get complicated; he meets and falls in love with his sweet neighbour (Carey Mulligan), who is living with her son while her husband serves time. Later, he becomes involved with Albert Brooks' violent gangster.
Ranking alongside Heat and Gone Baby Gone (yes, it's that good), Drive does everything right and with confidence. Gosling's character could easily be a young Neil McCauley, and it's that type of subtle intensity - portrayed organically by the searingly charismatic leading man - that's the nucleus of this wonderful film. It's been a big year for Gosling, and his role here is an actor's wet dream, but he never once oversells it. You never really know what this guy is thinking until a surprising sensitivity kicks in and he makes a decision he would never have made before he meeting the character of Mulligan's vulnerable young mother. It's an ambiguous, but completely cohesive performance from Hollywood's current credibility magnet. Albert Brooks deserves mentioning, too - his gang boss is terrifying, but strangely endearing.
You know the type of film you're in for the minute the opening frames begin rolling, when Refn's retro score plays over a nighttime LA scene. It's an assured and stylish beginning, but it's followed through competently with practical, efficient dialogue and sporadic moments of shocking violence. Yet those moments are never glamorised, and are always relevant to the character and plot. Refn stages one shoot-out in particular that comes seemingly out of nowhere, the aftermath of which feels disturbingly real. Watch this young director soar after Drive's release and expect mammoth franchises to be thrown his way.
As soon as Drive was over I wanted to see it again. It's been a long time since I've said that. A phenomenal film.
Review by Mike Sheridan
Your Comments
CherrySueDointhedo
Open scenes of Los Angeles with Ryan Gosling speaking, enjoy this as he doesn't do much of it for the duration. The premise has Gosling working as a stunt driver and part time grease monkey but also picking up a heist or two. Offering five minutes of his time for the job, no more, no less then expertly driving to escape. From scene one this film is beautiful, pounding, at times genuinely terrifying and as good an action thriller as you're likely to see for quite a while. The soundtrack, based in techno but reaching so far beyond that is haunting at times but never less than a perfect fit. This is my first time in a long while to wonder how soon I can get the CD soundtrack only 10 minutes in. Carey Milligan plays the neighbour, a young mother to a cute kid whose father is inside. Gosling's on screen chemistry with Mulligan is electric, only using words when absolutely necessary, every movement carefully thought out and every emotion hidden. This makes the horrific violence that much more shocking when it happens. Gosling is as effortlessly cool as he is truly frightening. Scenes are shot with dramatic and voyeuristic angles, seeing character's actions and reactions in mirrors or from an awkward angle as if you are realistically part of the conversation. A genuinely absorbing movie with real character involvement. I'm not even mentioning car chases to rival Bullitt or The Bourne Identity at its best. Some scenes have echoes of a superhero at work, a man with morals and a dogged determination to protect what he loves at all costs. When a heist goes disastrously wrong you can almost hear the cogs turn as Gosling attempts to set things right. With moments of true tenderness in stark contradiction to cover your eyes terror, this film is like no other I've seen. From a girls point of view, there's a kiss that would blow Spidey's upside down socks off followed immediately by the most horrific, in your face, murder I've ever witnessed on the silver screen. Incredible. A collaboration between Gosling himself and Danish Director Nicolas Winding Refn and based on the novel by James Sallis, Drive is an instant classic. Receiving wide acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival it is truly frightening, flawless and beautiful, I want to see this again. And again. And again.
Posted 14/08/2011 01:42:16
KickedArse
Seen it in Cannes. Amazing movie. Really great performance from Gosling too!
Posted 07/09/2011 17:44:27
Cakes
5 stars!? This better be good! :P
Posted 07/09/2011 17:52:57
sarah
wow. if mike sheridan says it's that good than it must be. can't wait!
Posted 08/09/2011 15:39:25
Pandora
I'll be watching it based solely on the cast, if it's great then all the better.
Posted 10/09/2011 01:05:03
Cheryl
I just saw this movie in vancouver...One of the best I have ever seen. My heart was pounding after the first scene. Gosling is perfect and Brooks is so believable as a bad ass. Great soundtrack too. I will go see it again...despite the elevator violence Or maybe because of it.
Posted 17/09/2011 09:40:53
foodie
Looking forward to seeing this. Has to be a Drive in movie though :-)
Posted 21/09/2011 12:52:16
FilmBuff76
Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn is making quite a name for himself in the English-speaking world. He made the highly atmospheric but little-seen Viking movie Valhalla Rising last year. Drive however will be his calling card to Hollywood. It's definitely one of the year's most memorable films, although for me it fell just short of classic status due to its slowly moving dialogue scenes (do people really talk that slowly?). It's soaked in atmosphere and Los Angeles is filmed as if it was a Michael Mann film. It's like an 80s film even right down to the pumping soundtrack, but shot in the present day. And Ryan Gosling continues to impress with his range. Highly recommended.
Posted 24/09/2011 13:01:17
Hedonist
This movie is rating high at the moment for stylistic reasons but is a flash in the pan and does not deserve 5 stars in my view which I think will be proved in the long run. It is a pretentious soulless movie. Watched it last night and the cinema was quite full for a Tuesday probably based on the good reviews but on leaving it was obvious the majority were disappointed even depressed by the movie and would have been better off had they spent their time and money doing something else. The highlight of the experience was chatting with friends before the movie and trying to cheer each other up after it. There was a long build up to the heist from which point one hoped the movie would pick up but the pace remained the same largely to the end with long drawn out moments of silence or very slow conversation. I bought my tickets for this movie but did I buy into it, not a hope. Everything was muted, soft focused, subtle mixed in with moments of madness at the opposite raw end of the spectrum. One of the few memorable highlights for me was the main chase scene but that too was cut short. In general everything in the movie was cut short despite the long drawn out sparse conversations as if it was purposely underdeveloped to leave questions open like an art house movie. Some of the main players are interesting but we don't get a good proper look at them. The closest thing to a character study is Gosling's and his skills are to be appreciated but did the audience feel for him like they did for another quietly spoken maniac trying to stay on the right side of the fence such as Viggo Mortensen's character in 'A History of Violence'. I don't think so... This probably was never the aim of the director anyhow but it sure as heck would have helped us care for Gosling's character more. In fact we grew to dislike or judging by the few laughs in the theater mock him. So don't expect to be entertained, perhaps intrigued or wanting a refund!
Posted 28/09/2011 11:30:29
tootall
I thought it was going to be another action car film, but i was surprised i enjoyed it very much,gritty and interesting, even though it was a low budget film it was somehow better being low budget, and the way the scenes were written with not alot of dialogue were great it was very intriguing.I felt drawn into that world. Its a must see i give it 5 stars and i will be buying it on dvd.
Posted 28/09/2011 20:39:01
Ciaran Flynn
I agree with Hedonist, I thought this movie was over-rated. I thought Goslings acting was non existent, he was like a wooden Steve McQueen. The movie itself was like a cheap mans Cohen brothers movie. It was slow and violent for the sake of it. Someone said here it was good for a low-budget movie, it cost 13 million to make, not very low-budget. Empty cost 10K to make and its a much better movie, now thats low budget.
Posted 29/09/2011 15:49:00
Sam Bam
Went to see Drive last night and i must say it was better than I was expecting. From the opening scene and credits it reminded me of GTA Vice City. I gave this film a go as my boyfriend wanted to see it and I figured the car scenes would keep me entertained. I ended up enjoying the film a lot. It wasn't the kind of film that was all about fast cars and women often like The Fast and the Furious series thankfully and the main characters profession as a stunt driver really worked well in the story. With a great story story line and a lot of action as well as suspense the film borders in some scenes as almost too graphic, leaving audience members shocked and some of the women screaming. I wasn't expecting the violence that was in it but it tied in well. It is a film I will definitely watch again in the future and I think people should see it
Posted 30/09/2011 15:05:07
HBarca
Phenomenal film. One of the few that I have ever seen that still lingers a week after I have seen it. The trailer does not give an accurate indication of the movie thematically at all. Gosling was simply brilliant, cold, calculating with a visceral explosive capability for violence mercifully free of the tough man swagger I was half expecting to see. In my top 5.
Posted 02/10/2011 22:53:13
jack brown
enjoyable but over rated movie . Gosling acting was not that great , speaks very few words and looks stiff . I would say 3 stars . The plot had mnay potholes in it and did not make sense and violence was too graphic for some ( not me ) .
Posted 05/10/2011 10:13:57
heartmovies
I really did not enjoy this movie and I cannot understand why it received such great reviews. First of all it was far too gruesome and the story line was not entertaining. There was no interesting twist and it was very predictable. They tried to make the movie alternative and artistic with the use silence, interesting camera angles and unusual music but for me this did not work. Almost like they really were trying. I have seen a lot better!
Posted 07/10/2011 11:41:53
ted29
Saw it today, its an absolutely savage movie. But its not for everybody, simple as.
Posted 10/10/2011 18:02:12
sr
This is no Hollywood blockbuster and that's what makes this such an amazing piece of work. No mega action scenes or saturation of cheesy one liners here. Very European and very art house in influence. Again Gosling shows his off his skill not only in acting through the bones of his character but also in his choice of who he works with and what he works on. Working as a two bit stunt man and moonlighting as a getaway driver, Gosling falls for his neighbour who has a young son. I won't go to much into the story, but this is a very stylish and classy composition. For those looking for something along the lines of Transporter, this isn't the movie for you. Nicely paced with well placed minimalist action and well placed scenes of violence, this is one for real film lovers. Faultless. Loved it. 11/10
Posted 11/10/2011 13:06:22
Conor
Someone told me 'go see this movie, its good', and someone else told me 'its actually unreal, you should really go see it'. Both these staements grossly undersold the film to me. There is no word that can descrobe how good it is.....Is that a sell?
Posted 14/10/2011 21:30:49
Catherine 360Dublincity
It is a great film, really stays with you. Feel the urge to go see it again. I closed my eyes for all the really violent bits, (could see them coming)
Posted 20/10/2011 11:42:09
John Doe
Biggest load of s**te!!!!! Do not go! 5 stars is because the critic is up his own arse thinking his own s**te smells like perfum!!!! s**t film - do not go, save your money
Posted 24/10/2011 00:16:44
Lisa
I love Ryan Gosling and I usually 100% agree with Mike's reviews but I have to say Drive was woefull!! And I was so looking forward to it!! It just seemed like they forgot to bother with much of a script and decided to let Mr Gosling look all intense in a gold jacket carry the entire affair...
Posted 28/10/2011 18:19:49
wes
loved this, one of the best films i've seen in a long time. wanted to see it again as soon as it was over, sountrack was awesome. can't add much to what was said above, but for anyone that said gosling was stiff, did you ever think it was a characteristic of the person he was playing? brilliant brilliant film, definitely in my top 5.
Posted 29/10/2011 16:13:34
Tyler Durden
"Ranking alongside Heat and Gone Baby Gone (yes, it's that good)" - I saw it last night, it's good - but it ain't *that* good. On par with 5-star 'Metropolis' and 'Citizen Kane'?!? No. Hell no. 'Drive' has a superb indie feel to it, helped by the stoic Gosling in the lead, the efficient direction by Refn, and urban soundtrack. But never 5-stars.
Posted 03/11/2011 09:50:05
Neelie509
i was disappointed actually. was expecting a little more action and dialogue/plot. i think its over rated also. not something i would go out and buy on dvd anyways, unfortunetly.
Posted 03/11/2011 20:37:10
jameson
Not a ***** movie in my eyes.. Entertaining and Gosling was good in it.. I'd have to give it ***. First time I didn't agree with Mike.
Posted 16/11/2011 18:23:46
Login or Register to leave a comment
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed here are those of the viewer and do not reflect those of Entertainment.ie. Entertainment.ie accepts no responsibility, legal or otherwise, for their accuracy of content. Please contact us to report abusive content
Search for Cinema Listings
Most Popular Reviews
 |
Men in Black III |
 |
What To Expect When You're Expecting |
 |
Jeff Who Lives at Home |
 |
The Raid |
|
|
American Pie: Reunion |
Your Reviews...
Almost flawless modern masterpiece - Stefano Brucone
There is a telling scene at the very start of Drive which goes a long way to explaining the Ryan Gosling character.... MORE04/02/2012 20:09:35Simply a must watch - smallee
At first I was skeptical as I saw Gosling being too "soft" an actor and was preparing myself to potentially sit through... MORE22/11/2011 21:21:37Stylish - A
This film had me hooked from the beginning. It has a really retro feel to it. The opening credits and the soundtrack... MORE05/11/2011 18:27:12
usleess - moviemc
not worth crossing the road for pure rubbish film cant see how any one finds it good.17/10/2011 23:06:41