The Coolest film of 2011?
Lover: Taken from IMDB
“You might hear one comparing this to a Tarantino film, but leave all worries at the door, this is an absorbing and tremendously unique piece of cinema from Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn. The reason it works so exquisitely well is because the film grabs hold of you and takes you inside this often dark and dream-like LA setting. So, when the end of the film hits, you feel apart of this film, and it's there to stay. This film also offers a Ryan Gosling like you've never seen him, speaking only when necessary, with tension and fury in his eyes. He's silent, caring, and ridiculously tough. Every line is delivered perfectly and every gesture is natural. I saw this at the LA Film Festival on a mammoth screen with booming speakers. The music only makes this film more unique. It is catchy and synchronized perfectly with the TRULY beautiful cinematography. This film is the BEST of its genre. I honestly cannot compare it to any other film, for it is truly that different. "Drive" is already the best of the year, because I'm POSITIVE no other film will haunt and invade me quite like this film has. This is not just a classic for its genre, but a beautiful and bold classic in general.”
In essence the film isn’t that original; a getaway driver falls for a girl and gets himself in some deep water with some public enemies. The fact it was originally touted as a starring vehicle for Hugh Jackman directed by Neil Marshall is proof of that, however with a simple change of director and star it becomes something else entirely.
Hater: Taken from IMDB
“awful, just an awful movie! It tried too hard to be an Oscar candidate by using this Pavlovsky copycat driver who is too cool to be true mixed with new age camera angles and story telling. I had to make this profile just because of how awful this movie is. People need to be warned before they spend money renting this nonsense. Better off looking out your living room window for 2hrs. Even if there is a brick wall outside! OK, I need to write 4 more lines in order to have this posted. Even if I already have written enough to state what I feel about this movie the extra effort I now put down is totally worth it in order to warn other innocent people from being let down in the most horrible way by a potential great movie (title)”
A character too cool to be true, is that a negative really!? It’s not that new age the film is supposed to be harking back to the neon crime action thrillers of Walter Hill and Michael Mann in the 80’s, just listen to the soundtrack. The rest of the review is pointless bashing.
What I thought:
With the leather driving gloves pulled up to the wrist, the watch strapped to the steering wheel, “THAT” jacket on his back and a toothpick between the teeth Ryan Gosling created an on screen legend of cool. All of that and he hardly opens his mouth the entire running time, of course there’s more going on here apart from gangsters, mechanics and the girl next door it’s about retro chic. Like the action thrillers of the 80’s by the likes of Walter Hill and Michael Mann, it has visual panache and a retro soundtrack but above all it embraces them instead of mock them.
Ok so there are some plot holes and as one Guardian critic has said the 5 minute rule does seem a bit weird. Some plots holes are forgivable but that rule does leave a sour taste in the mouth, I justify it by saying that this ice cool character knows that after 5 mins he’ll have you clear of the pursuing police and that’s all he’ll do for you? For me that works but then I’m a sucker for a character cool enough to chew a toothpick.
Performance wise, well whilst anyone can go on about Ryan Gosling his support is pretty damn awesome too. Carey Muligan though underused is utterly convincing, Ron Perlman gangsters it up with enough menace not to make him too panto and Albert Brookes playing a bad guy without really even trying. Of course there is violence but it’s not shouted about or over indulgent it’s just there and yep for a film called Drive there isn’t much of it but this movie is seriously the coolest film of 2011.
Out on DVD and Blu Ray: 30th Jan
Running Time: 100mins
Cert: 18
