Lauren Slouffman (but in actuality this is Evan Oyster because there's know way Lauren could write this good of a review)
Film-Noir
Drive is directed by Nicolas Rinding Refn and stars Ryan Gosling in one of his most subtle but powerful performances to date. Released in 2011, this is not only one of the best film-noir movies of the 21st century, but one absolute best of this time. Drive can be off putting on first viewing, especially if one went into the movie expecting it to be like its trailer. The preview for the movie is full of car chases and action sequences, making one believe they are in store for a standard action movie. What they actually get, however, is much more. Intense, dark, yet beautiful at the same time, this film is a modern masterpiece.
Oscar-nominate screenwriter Hossein Amini and director Nicolas Winding Refn take a very good crime novel and adapt it in to an even better movie. Ryan Gosling is exceptional as the protagonist, known only to the viewer as the Driver. While the amount of dialogue he speaks is limited, his facial expressions and body language speaks more than his words ever could. Often only giving one or two word responses to characters, the amount Gosling gives the viewer to digest using non verbal cues is incredible. The amount of depth Gosling gives to his character with so little spoken speaks volumes for not only how good of a performance Gosling gives, but how strong of an actor he is as a whole.
Gosling does not stand alone, however, in terms of quality acting in this film. There is not a single miscast in this movie as every single supporting actor gives a stellar performance. Carey Mulligan is exceptional as Gosling's love interest Irene, perfectly portraying the amount of pain she has gone through, but also showing that underneath she is extremely strong willed. Oscar Isaac, in one of his earlier roles, while having limited screen time, leaves a lasting impression on the viewer as Standard, Irene's ex-husband and ex-convict, foreshadowing the success Isaac is going to have in the future. While I will not go into detail about every minor character, more standouts include Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, and Christina Hendricks.
Director Refn shows off his visual directing prowess, creating an absolutely gorgeous movie to look at in partnership with cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel. The lighting is perfect throughout, specifically in the opening scene and the beach scene, with the nighttime of Los Angeles being eery yet still stunning visually. Another exceptional technical aspect is the unique use of electronic music, making the film feel set in more the 1980's than the modern time it is actually set, contributing to the sense of unease the viewer feels. The fantastic music along with the beautiful photography and lighting contribute to the creation of one of the best title sequences I have ever seen.
A matter of controversy the surrounded this movie was the sudden and immense amount of violence starting about halfway through the movie, with some saying it was too jarring and detracted from the film. I do not agree with this criticism, as I feel it was supposed to be extremely shocking to the viewer, just as it is to the Driver when it happens the first time. It also contributes to the fact that the Driver is diving deeper and deeper into the darkness of his character and falling into the life that he was trying to escape when he met Irene and her son. (Spoiler) Their final scene together, which also happens to be the most controversial in the movie in which the Driver kicks in a would be assassin's head in an elevator, is in my opinion both stunning and heartbreaking. While many complaints have been made about the amount of violence in this scene, I believe it was done in purpose, to exemplify the completion of the Driver's transformation. The Driver knows that this will be the last time he ever sees Irene, and they share a passionate kiss (with absolutely fantastic use of lighting). The Driver then proceeds to kill their would be killer, and stays on the elevator as Irene gets out, looking on in horror as the elevator shuts between them, symbolically telling the viewer that this is the last time they will see each other.
I could go on for hours about this beautiful, stunning, brutal movie. I didn't even get into the symbolism behind the Driver and the mask he wears in the end, of which there are numerous interpretations, such as Gosling's own interpretation that the Driver was influenced by the amount of movies he has seen and worked on, and wanted to wear the mask so he could be the superhero this time and save the lives of those he loves. He is trying to blur the lines between fiction and reality, wishing to live out the fake hollywood movie life and be the hero that deep down he knows he cannot be. It is in my opinion criminally underrated, in large part due to the terrible marketing of the film in my opinion. One is significantly rewarded from a second viewing, as after my second watch I knew this film was cemented as one of my all time favorites.
10/10
Sorry for writing it for Lauren, I missed writing these for class.
Gosling does not stand alone, however, in terms of quality acting in this film. There is not a single miscast in this movie as every single supporting actor gives a stellar performance. Carey Mulligan is exceptional as Gosling's love interest Irene, perfectly portraying the amount of pain she has gone through, but also showing that underneath she is extremely strong willed. Oscar Isaac, in one of his earlier roles, while having limited screen time, leaves a lasting impression on the viewer as Standard, Irene's ex-husband and ex-convict, foreshadowing the success Isaac is going to have in the future. While I will not go into detail about every minor character, more standouts include Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, and Christina Hendricks.
Director Refn shows off his visual directing prowess, creating an absolutely gorgeous movie to look at in partnership with cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel. The lighting is perfect throughout, specifically in the opening scene and the beach scene, with the nighttime of Los Angeles being eery yet still stunning visually. Another exceptional technical aspect is the unique use of electronic music, making the film feel set in more the 1980's than the modern time it is actually set, contributing to the sense of unease the viewer feels. The fantastic music along with the beautiful photography and lighting contribute to the creation of one of the best title sequences I have ever seen.
A matter of controversy the surrounded this movie was the sudden and immense amount of violence starting about halfway through the movie, with some saying it was too jarring and detracted from the film. I do not agree with this criticism, as I feel it was supposed to be extremely shocking to the viewer, just as it is to the Driver when it happens the first time. It also contributes to the fact that the Driver is diving deeper and deeper into the darkness of his character and falling into the life that he was trying to escape when he met Irene and her son. (Spoiler) Their final scene together, which also happens to be the most controversial in the movie in which the Driver kicks in a would be assassin's head in an elevator, is in my opinion both stunning and heartbreaking. While many complaints have been made about the amount of violence in this scene, I believe it was done in purpose, to exemplify the completion of the Driver's transformation. The Driver knows that this will be the last time he ever sees Irene, and they share a passionate kiss (with absolutely fantastic use of lighting). The Driver then proceeds to kill their would be killer, and stays on the elevator as Irene gets out, looking on in horror as the elevator shuts between them, symbolically telling the viewer that this is the last time they will see each other.
I could go on for hours about this beautiful, stunning, brutal movie. I didn't even get into the symbolism behind the Driver and the mask he wears in the end, of which there are numerous interpretations, such as Gosling's own interpretation that the Driver was influenced by the amount of movies he has seen and worked on, and wanted to wear the mask so he could be the superhero this time and save the lives of those he loves. He is trying to blur the lines between fiction and reality, wishing to live out the fake hollywood movie life and be the hero that deep down he knows he cannot be. It is in my opinion criminally underrated, in large part due to the terrible marketing of the film in my opinion. One is significantly rewarded from a second viewing, as after my second watch I knew this film was cemented as one of my all time favorites.
10/10
Sorry for writing it for Lauren, I missed writing these for class.
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