‘Drive’ – relentless thriller!
‘Film Noir: A styleor genre of motion picture marked by a mood of pessimism, fatalism, and menace.The term was originally applied to American thriller or detective films made in1944 – 54’ – Dictionary.com
Nicolas Winding Refn’s ‘Drive’ delivers a powerhouse of filmnoir with art house qualities and just enough of mass market appeal to make anearly perfect movie. With a nice homage to the Michael Mann films of the late80’s, this modern ‘70’s type thriller, bathed in pink neon and synthesizermood, firmly established Ryan Gosling as the next ‘Steve McQueen cool ‘ star.And while you think you may know these styles of films, you will walk out ofthe film knowing you have never quite seen a film like this.
Gosling is the unnamed lead character (simply called‘Driver’ in the end credits) in ‘Drive’; he doesn’t really need a name, he isthere to simply ‘drive’. A stunt driver for the LA film industry, he works withhis stunt boss Shannon (Bryan Cranston who seems everywhere these days) at alocal garage while taking on ‘side jobs’ acting as the driver in variousrobberies. We first meet Gosling during the film’s opening, which serves todefine the character with little to no dialogue or background. He is a driver,and a damn good one at that. The first of the films chase scenes is really nota chase scene at all, rather it is a high tension game of cat and mouse thattakes place during an escape and from entirely within the getaway car.Brilliant in its direction, Refn builds tension using the dialogue coming fromthe police scanner as well as the narrative from the basketball game on the carradio.
Gosling plays the part with deliberate, quiet intensity;emotion practically smoldering from his eyes, his facial features just asexpressive. We are never concerned with his background as where he is going iswhat we are all sitting on the edge of our seat for. In that path are neighborsIrene (the beautiful Carey Mulligan) and her young son, Benicio. Irene’shusband is in prison and the two strike up a friendship that starts innocentlyenough, we watch their first ‘date’, underscored by the fantastic soundtrack,that is both tender and loving. The grin on Goslings face while he is withIrene instantly relieves the tension that is built up, only to have it begin togrow once again after she is gone. Also in his path, Bernie Rose (Albert Brooksin a marvelous performance), an emotionless, ruthless, calculating mob boss whoagrees to fund Shannon’s dream of heading a race team with Gosling as thedriver. With Bernie, his partner Nino (the always menacing Ron Perlman); findthemselves at odds with the driver.
Through a serious of unfortunate events, Gosling is thedriver at a failed robbery attempt that was a set-up by Nino. As the eventsunfold, director Refn uses every tool he has to amp up the tension and thereaction he wants from the audience. In the second, and best, chase scene, hesmartly allows the roar of the engines to punctuate the action rather thanmusic. No one has done this better since ‘Bullitt’ in 1968.
The film is stylized in every way; Refn uses slow motion,lighting, framing, amazingly rich shadows and sound to tell the story. Andwhile it is a lot of slick style, it is never too much or overbearing in any way.The elevator scene, while one of the most brutal I have seen, was still one ofthe most beautifully shot scenes I have viewed in a while. The violence isgraphic, so be forewarned, but it is not constant, it explodes out in an almostoperatic style. ‘Drive’ is the perfect blend of Noir, Art House and Mainstreamfilm; this is a 4 star effort worthy of trip to the theater.