Review of Drive (2011) by Mike S — 26 Dec 2015

I remember seeing Drive for the first time in the cinema and being utterly jaded. Yes, I will admit that on my first viewing and found nothing likeable about the film apart from the well shot action sequences, the excellent lighting and cinematography. But apart from that, I was unentertained by what had been promised to me as the perfect blend of arthouse action.

At the time of course, I could not see this. All I saw was a slow moving romance and a few action scenes that did not satiate my expectations for action, and expectation that was formed upon seeing the trailer. And for a long time I dismissed Drive as a pretty average film, albeit a pretty one.

So how did this film come to be my favorite fil of all time? Well, as I matured in my taste for film, finding a growing love for art house cinema and "Oscar worthy" films, I sought to watch Drive again after hearing all the raving reviews about it. And so I went out, bought it on Blu-ray and watched it.

I was blown away by the experience. Having curbed my expectations of an action film, I found myself enjoying the dripping tension, the beautiful yet doomed romance and the incredible actions scenes though few and far between. Again, I was blown away by the way the film was shot and this only serves to resonant stronger this viewing. And the story, I was intrigued and invested until the end despite knowing what was going on and this time around, noticed a lot of symbolism deployed. The subtle story telling through actions and emotions rather dialogue was a refreshing change from an industry saturated by witty Tarantino-esque dialogue (Not that that's a bad thing of course, just in small dosages and when done properly).

I greatly enjoyed the performances given by all those involved in the filming, particularly Ryan Gosling, pulling off the silent Driver character perfectly, accentuating the dark and brooding character that was violent and psychopathic yet desperate to reach out and make a connection with someone. Props all go to Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman and Carey Mulligan all of whom give superb performances here.

To summarize, while this may not be the best movie for most people, it is for me as it changed my view of cinema profoundly, showing me that stories could be told with more than just dialogue and what was directly referred to onscreen and that subtle story telling makes all the difference. It got me into cinematography and entirely new genre of music that I have come to love (I haven't talked about the music but in short, it is amazing!). So all in all, I can only give Drive the highest of ratings!