Review: Drive (2011)

Nicolas Winding Refn's brutal, bare bones neo-noir tale is a dreamlike, intensely cerebral thriller, interspersed with explosions of brutal, uncompromising violence. Combine that with Refn's supremely singular visual motif of primary colors, and hyper stylized slow motion, and you have an incredibly unique, yet vital entry into the genre.

Let it be known that, for those expecting a wall to wall explosion of action and chaos, Drive is not the film for them. Refn is far more concerned with creating a heavily stylistic, ambient experience then an action film, and keeps his focus tightly on Ryan Gosling's enigmatic and highly non-verbal Driver, who has no name. A mysterious, aloof figure who exhibits very little emotion, Gosling and Refn use the film as a character study first, crime thriller second.

Refn's direction is a huge reason as to why this works in the film's favor, as his eye is supremely unique. Often favoring lingering, slow moving yet complex tracking shots, and a minimizing the frenetic editing most often found in thrillers for a more controlled editing aesthetic, Refn creates a film that plays out like a meditative dream, culled and created from the sun soaked world of Los Angeles, where the film takes place. Punctuating the quietness of the rest of the film, are explosions of graphic, brutal violence, often filmed in a way that heightens the impact of the violence, explicitly because it's so rare, yet so brutal. Whenever the film's pace does pick up, however, Refn does it masterfully, constructing tight, pulse pumping sequences that end as soon as they begin, yet still leave an impact.

Ryan Gosling does an incredible job at portraying the quiet and introverted loner known only as The Driver. Often acting with his eyes instead of his whole face, Gosling's character rarely speaks, yet says so much with body language and movement. Under the cold, inexpressive exterior is a burning intensity, and Refn knows how to highlight Gosling, and how to help extract the intensity from him. A far cry from the doe-eyed heart throb of films like The Notebook.

The rest of the cast, consisting of Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman, all give great performances, but the film is firmly Goslings. His quiet, wistful romance with Mulligan's character is supremely understated, and treated with a true sense of gentleness and kindness to it, which contrasts sharply with the dark world in which the characters live. Isaac, as always, is on point, as is Cranston, playing an affable mentor figure to Gosling. Albert Brooks is a surprisingly menacing, yet restrained Jewish mobster, who looms over the film with his false charm hiding a brutally violent, angry man.

Anthony Dod Mantle's cinematography is astounding, melding perfectly with Refn's color-blindnesss induced affinity for harsh primary colors. Drenching the film in golds, blues, and reds, Mantle creates a sumptuous palette for Refn to play with, with the bold red of blood contrasting with the pure white of The Driver's leather jacket, or the intense shadows that loom in hotel hallways.

A soundtrack made of pulsing electro-pop ebbs and flows beneath the film, mixing perfectly with Cliff Martinez's tightly wound synth score. Complimenting the hyper color saturated world of the film perfectly, it provides a great way to raise tension or highlight emotions that ebb in the nuances of the low-key performance style.

So all in all, Drive is a supremely unique and entrancing film experience. More of an art film then an action film, it still manages to tell it's story in a way that is easily understandable, and approachable. Unjustly overlooked at the Academy Awards, this film however, has carved it's own niche, and stands as a truly unique film experience.

5 out of 5 stars.