Review of Drive (2011) by Ray S — 13 Dec 2013

I'm surprised that I haven't written anything about that film. I first saw it at the LA Film Fest the year it came out. It was a surprise hit. Seriously. Nobody expected a film like that and acted the way Ryan Gosling did.

It was a bit surreal but I was hooked into the first five minutes. I had a the same effect yesterday. A lot of people say that his character in this film is similar to the character in Only God Forgives.

In a way, yes. Ultimately, no. He's a character no one expects and never thought would exist in a real world. The difference between the two--and I was thinking about it after I saw it, driving home--is that the Driver has three dimensions.

He has emotions and I saw it through the film. Yeah, he's silent, controlled but able to make different expressions to different situation. Gosling in Only God Forgives, doesn't. Despite the issues that he tangles with.

The film is beautiful. It feels realistic. The car chases are pretty cool, I dig them. Nothing much happens to them and I think it's because of the budget. It is an indie film. The story is pretty cool and balls-to-the-wall.

The characters are rich. They have style. They have character. They have intimidation. Albert Brooks plays a great asshole who knows his way with a sharp object. Ron Perlman is Ron Perlman. He always gives a good performance.

The cinematography is great. I like how lowkey lighting can be executed even in daylight. I thought that sort of shooting isn't possible since you simply can tell The Sun to fuck off and go to a certain area to light.

It does give the film that "crime drama" type of feel. What's interesting about the film as far as story goes is the chemistry between Golsing and Carey Mulligan. For some reason, those two match very well.

Mulligan's character is more talkative, she blends well within the frame, giving us something to feel rather than to look at (her beauty). She's not dumb. She's very observant and knows when to say and or do things when she needs to.

In other words, her character is very real to me. Something you would expect in reality. The music fucking amazing. I love the way it gives a different dimension to the scenes. It establishes, it treats, it ends.

Cliff Martinez is a bad ass producer. He gives us the dark, 80s feel. I got in touch with the music so well. You really feel it. It's quite dreamy, especially in the scenes where they deserve it. They act as intense moments and they kind of give you a hint on what's gonna go down next.

I know that they stand for something significant in the film, I just don't know what exactly. I haven't figured that out yet. The film is different from other crime dramas especially with the love interest in there.

I see the "damsel in distress" but it feels like a natural one. It's not just embedded there. It's written pretty well for it to creep up on you. The ending works out great, to me. Like I said earlier about the film, it seems pretty realistic.

It ends dramatically and truthful to the characters, especially the Driver. 4/4.