DRIVE (2011)

There Are No Clean Getaways.

GENRE

Crime/Drama

STORYLINE

A mysterious Hollywood stuntman, mechanic and getaway driver lands himself in trouble when he helps out his neighbour.

DIRECTOR

Nicolas Winding Refn

CAST

Ryan Gosling

Carey Mulligan

Bryan Cranston

Albert Brooks

MY REVIEW

I always thought that Hollywood has stopped making these kinds of films.  It has been a long time since a good 'heist gone wrong film came about'.  A movie in which the background score so convincingly does more of the talking than the actors is so rare.   This movie is a mysterious action/thriller that keeps you glued on till the very end.

Ryan Gosling plays the unnamed Stunt Driver who moonlights as a gateway driver.   He even works as a mechanic in a garage owned by Shannon (Bryn Cranston).   He soon meets his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and his son.   Irene's husband is in jail.   The Driver falls for Irene and starts spending a lot of time with her and her son.   When Standard (Oscar Isaac), Irene's husband is released, the driver comes to know of his problems.  Standard owes some guy a large amount of money who threatens to hurt his family if he doesn't pay up.  The Driver decides to help in a heist, but this heist goes all wrong putting those involved in a lot of trouble.

Carey Mulligan as Irene

What I liked about the film was its mysteriousness.   The movie begins with the viewers getting to know about the Driver's work. In all these sequences there is so much of secrecy that just increase your curiosity.  Also the thing with the background score.   We usually don't relize the importance of the background score in films.  But films like Drive and Shame show how to convey emotions and feeling just through images and music rather than relying on dialogues. 

The action sequences, the gruesome violence receives an ovation from me because of the way they are shot.   Most of these scenes are so sudden and unexpected, that you are left shaken at what just happened.   And again without the dialogues the images convey the mood in the sequences.   One particular scene is the elevator scene involving The Driver, Irene and The assassin. This sequence was the best sequence for me.

The Elevator Sequence

As for performances, Ryan Gosling sets a new standard for himself in this film.   This film was a challenge for him.   Known mostly for his good looks, Ryan had to play a role that required him to display his emotions with his expressions and with no help from the dialogues. He is perfect for this role.   Carey Mulligan, well she is always a part of beautiful films or we can say she is the one who makes the films beautiful.   Wall Street, Shame and Drive are some of her better movies which I have seen (She even has The Great Gatsby releasing in December which is one of the biggest movies this year ). She portrays the role of the innocent and sweet Irene amazingly well.  Bryan Cranston as Shannon has a small role. Known for his TV Series Breaking Bad which has a theme similar to this movie, he feels at ease. Albert Hooks also does a good job as the main antagonist Bernie Rose.

Albert Hooks as Bernie Rose

I have become a fan of Ryan Gosling after this movie.  Because of his work I  never wanted this film to end.   Now, I am so looking forward to his next 'Gangster Squad'.   Watch this movie as it is so different from the movie you see these days.  I am sure you would be willing to watch it again once you see it the first time.

PS There is lot of violence in this movie involving a lot of blood. Not suited for children

MY RATING 9/10

TRAILER