Drive

      Drive is a film about which I’m not sure how I feel.  It is nothing what I expected, but it held my interest the all the same.  Seeing the trailers, I expected something along the lines of ‘The Transporter’ or maybe even something akin to Steve McQueen’s 1968 classic ‘Bullit’.  The film didn’t resemble either of those two.  Reading some other reviews, many critics compared it to Clint Eastwood’s ‘Man with no Name’ Spaghetti Westerns due to the lead character’s mysterious personage.  I see what they are talking about, but as the film progressed, I thought what it was most comparable to was the hit TV series of the 1980’s, ‘Miami Vice’, but not in a bad or cheesy way.  The film is highly stylized and it values  visual aesthetics over dialogue.  This sounds like a bad thing, but artistry in films does not always have to come from the story.  A skilled film maker can sometimes paint a vivid and intriguing atmosphere with a minimalist dialogue or plot.  Sometimes the viewer gets a more satisfying experience by filling in the story themselves while being swept along by the film’s beauty.

The hero of the story is simply known as Driver (Ryan Gosling).  He drives for hire, whether as a stunt driver for movies during the day or as a getaway driver for heists at night.  He is mysterious and his impassive face betrays no hint of his past or where his life is heading.  He is the best and anyone who meets him knows it.  Ryan Gosling is someone I have raved about this year (and it seems he is in almost every movie this year as well).  He is an incredible actor whose choice in roles are very odd yet respectable, but they haven’t made him a household name yet.  Many of the movies he has done I have not liked, but I really respect his incredible talent.  I feel he was snubbed for an Oscar nomination in ‘Blue Valentine’ and I feel his work in ‘Lars and the Real Girl’ should be required viewing in any acting class (it was too small and quirky of a film to catch national attention, but if you get the chance, see it).  This movie, once again, demonstrates his ability.  Under a lesser actor, the character of Driver would have all the depth of a cardboard box.  Gosling infuses worlds of meanings into an emotionless character who usually responds with monosyllabic responses. The camera lingers on his emotionless face and the audience project their own feelings onto him as they try to decipher what’s going on behind his stoic eyes.

As I stated earlier, this is an exercise in style.  The visuals are not a typical action film palette of quick change jerky camera angles or 360 degree pivots.  The film takes it’s time and allows you to take in the nuances, right down to the subtle creak of Driver’s gloves.   I sometimes think that European directors make unorthodox choices when they try to do action films (this time not in a good way) and the Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn is no exception.  The movie is oddly paced to say the least and the soundtrack is completely inappropriate to what we are seeing on screen.  Where Quentin Tarantino is able to skillfully choose unorthodox music that fits perfectly, the music in this film felt overly synthesized and a throwback to 1980s genre films.  I felt it really detracted from the film.

Back to the story; Driver lives a solitary life of driving for hire.  It is not until his neighbor Irene (the vulnerable Carey Mulligan) and her son enter his life that he begins to soften.  The imminent release of her husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), from jail changes their dynamic and Driver attempts to retreat back into his life of solitude.  Unfortunately, Standard brings his troubles back to his family and when Driver realizes the whole family is in jeopardy, he offers his driving services for a heist to help Standard square away his mob debt.  The heist goes horribly wrong and Driver finds himself in a situation where the mob is after him and Standard’s family.

Albert Brooks (Defending Your Life) does a great job playing out-of-character as a local mob boss.  Brooks is known for his comedic acting, but he plays the gangster Bernie Rose as an affable, yet definitely slimy and sinister person.  Ron Pearlman plays his partner with equal menace.  If we are talking sheer acting, then I want to spotlight Driver’s down-on-his-luck employer, Shannon (Bryan Cranston).  Once I thought Bryan Cranston would be a pigeon-holed comedic actor due to his work as the bumbling father on ‘Malcom in the MIddle’.  His work since then has been nothing short of extraordinary.  He made a dramatic name for himself on the ground breaking TV show ‘Breaking Bad’ and he further proves his abilities in this film.  Shannon was once a former stunt man himself, but since falling on the wrong side of the mob he is a broken man who runs a garage repair shop and helps Driver find driving gigs.  He is a tragic character for, while he tries to look out for Driver, his loser nature causes nothing but problems.  He can’t help himself, it’s who he is.  

In deference to the critics, I can see the connection that could be made to the Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Westerns, but other than the silent loner who saves the day for ordinary people from oppressive bullies plot, I did not see much more in common.  Sergio Leone’s movies were almost operatic in nature  (the Ennio Morricone soundtracks certainly helped).  Drive does not have that feel.  It’s more of a fashion show.  Striking camera shots and daring (yet realistic) choreography.  Don’t go to this film if you are expecting an action movie.  This movie doesn’t spoon feed you the story, it makes you add your own meaning and dialogue.  It’s worth seeing, but is not necessarily a satisfying movie going experience.

I give this film *** (because I give credit for uniqueness)