Review of Drive (2011) by Thedoktorj — 01 Feb 2013

Absolutely the best film of 2011! I just finished watching this movie for the second time, after almost a year in between. I purposely delayed a second viewing, thinking there was no way it could stand up to the sheer exhilaration I felt the first time I watched it, but I was wrong.

This movie is unlike anything else I have ever seen. The opening sequence of Driver performing his job, has a perfect musical score, and the way that the entire sequence follows the plays of the baseball game on the radio, up to and including the first of many beautiful and unexpected moments mini-climaxes are the first indications of this movies graceful, almost shy, but still intense perfection. Many have called Driver (the unnamed protagonist) emotionless, but they clearly lack any understanding of the subtle shyness and think first speak later mentality that comes from being a lonely hermit. Driver is a true hero, as the beautiful musical score states. He is an archetype sorely missing in today's era of morally relative anti-heroes. Not that I don't love the typical anti-hero, but despite the multiple grisly murders that Driver performs throughout the second half of the film, there is never any doubting his purity and heroic nature. In the end, this is a film of contradiction. A gritty violent crime drama mixed with a subtle, shy, and tender love story. Brief but explosive action mixed into moments of pure serenity. Slow detail oriented drama building to a climax of murder, mayhem, and old school cowboy heroics. I simply don't understand how anyone could find this masterpiece of modern cinema to be anything short of perfection. Drive is the closest thing to perfection you are likely to find on Netflix or Blu-Ray any time soon, so just go watch it. You won't regret it.