The marketing for "Drive" would have you believe that it's an action film filled with car chases...maybe not on the order of "The Fast and the Furious" films, but still an action film. And while there are certainly car chases, and there is certainly action--much of it extremely bloody and brutal--"Drive" is most definitely not an action film. It's a artsy, stylized film noir, a sort of cross between the raw action of Steve McQueen's "Bullitt" and the quiet introspection of last year's George Clooney assassin film "The American." It's also one of the best films of the year.
"Drive" opens by introducing us to its nameless protagonist, a Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals, as he evades police on the streets of Los Angeles with a brilliant efficiency behind the wheel. Ryan Gosling plays The Driver, as he is listed in the credits, as a man of few words but an extremely steely nerve. He's really more reminiscent of Clint Eastwood in "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" than anyone else. As the film progresses, The Driver meets and becomes attached to his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son, Benicio (Kaden Leos). Irene's husband is in prison, so The Driver helps her out with grocery shopping and fixing her car, all the while growing closer to her and Benicio. The Driver and his mechanic boss Shannon (Bryan Cranston) also become involved with a couple of shady business figures (Albert Brooks and Ron Perelman) who want to finance a stock car operation with The Driver behind the wheel. But when Irene's husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) gets out of prison and is quickly assaulted and threatened because of a debt he still owes, The Driver steps in to help him out, which sets off the explosive events of the film's last half.
I should say that I realize this film won't be everyone's cup of tea. I mentioned that it's a highly stylized film noir, and that is particularly evident in the way director Nicolas Winding Refn sets up almost every shot. He is far more concerned with expressions than words, which means dialogue is kept to a minimum. But at least in the scenes between The Driver, Irene, and Benicio, that really makes more sense, as this is a pair of people who clearly don't know each other very well and realize that they're treading in some potentially dangerous territory. Refn and cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel also hang onto almost every shot just a bit longer than you would expect, which while slowing the film down, contributes immensely to its stylish, art house feel. Refn is Danish and I don't know what connections he has with Los Angeles, but he uses the city and its environs to absolute pristine effect, whether its a shot of a car moving slowly through the lit up night streets, or a thrilling car chase along the Pacific Coast Highway. Michael Mann has perfected the use of Los Angeles as almost a supporting character in his crime films "Heat" and "Collateral," but Refn's use of the city to influence the tone and style of this film is almost as good.
The acting in the film is top notch as well. The sheer range of emotion we see from Gosling as The Driver is amazing. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that he goes through some pretty remarkable transformations. Mulligan really doesn't have a whole lot to do in terms of dialogue, but she handles the aforementioned awkward quietness quite well, even though her character doesn't have much to say. Cranston adds yet another great supporting performance as he continues to be one of the more entertaining character actors out there, and Perelman's penchant for over-the-top characters is served well here as a shady pizza parlor owner. But the film's biggest gem aside from Gosling is Albert Brooks. He plays shady business man Bernie Rose to such gleeful perfection that he's easily the most entertaining and watchable character in the film. He also brings a surprising complexity to a character that could easily have been interpreted as very one-note. In terms of supporting acting performances so far this year, he's at the top in my opinion.
Overall, "Drive" is just a brilliant film. It's not for everyone and it will probably play better to art house fans than action fans. But the execution here is at its absolute best on all levels and it is, as I said at the outset, one of the year's best films.
"Drive" is rated R for strong brutal bloody violence, language, and some nudity.
Running time: 100 minutes.
Released domestically on September 16, 2011, by Film District.
3.5 stars out of 4.
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