Scream Bloody Entertainment

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear” – Ambrose Redmoon

This year hasn’t been too kind on indie productions up to this point, delivering only a few noteworthy efforts along the way and staying mostly out of sight, but even in a year such as this one, a gem inevitably makes itself known and goes on to conquer the hearts and minds of those longing for its advent. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, who made quite a name for himself in the independent circuit with the Pusher trilogy and the recent two movies Bronson and Valhalla Rising, Drive is without a doubt his biggest film to date, starring a cast of numerous well-known Hollywood actors. The film itself, though, is far from a mainstream exercise, deviating almost entirely from the genre of street racing which seems to have been indicated through the trailers and the way it’s been marketed.

Ryan Gosling stars in the leading role as a nameless driver who works as a stunt performer by day and a wheelman by night. He spends most of his time in solitude, until one day befriending a woman next door by the name of Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son. As the bond between them grows deeper, the Driver agrees to help Irene’s recently out-of-jail husband perform a heist in order to protect the family from a group of mobsters. However, the job takes an unexpected turn and the Driver soon finds himself on the run.


On the surface, Drive may appear to be relatively formulaic, but nothing could be farther away from the truth, which becomes quite apparent as early on as the very first minutes of the film. Drive is, in fact, more of a reproof of the genre it appears to hint towards – a wolf in sheep’s clothing, in some ways. One of the earliest scenes follows the Driver on a getaway job during night-time. The police catch wind of the act, but the outcome is much different than viewers have come to expect in this day and age no explosions come to pass, our protagonist doesn’t escape by sheer luck or in the nick of time, and there are no adrenaline-fueled car chases taking place, though the tension built is just as effective, if not even more so.

Another thing – Drive is not a fast-paced film. This may sound negative to some, but its use is justified (in case it needed justifying) within the larger picture. There’s a reason why the poster uses an 80s style pink font for the title: Drive is unconventional in most of its aspects, featuring long continuous camera shots, minimal cutting, a storyline that is not atypical in and of itself, but which provides countless moments where it temporarily goes against the tide, and, last but not least, a wonderfully evocative retro soundtrack. It is, indeed, a no-holds-barred art house exercise.


Where Drive fails to provide in terms of car chases and action, it more than makes up for with violence, delivering more gore and pints of blood than some horror movies aspire to. As the plot thickens, the Driver is faced with a few literal do-or-dies, and director Refn does not shy away from exhibiting the outcomes of most of these situations. One could describe the violence in the film as gratuitous, and that statement may not be entirely wrong, but truth to the matter is that it does serve a purpose, and it ultimately does end up giving the plot the gravitas needed to make an impact on the viewer that would have otherwise been difficult to achieve.

The Driver resembles a few iconic cinema characters both through his mannerisms and his purpose within the story at hand. His quiet and calculated persona hints towards Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name, yet like Travis Bickle in Scorsese’s 70s classic Taxi Driver, he is the lone wolf, the outsider forced to relentless actions by circumstance and the events surrounding him. Ryan Gosling is undoubtedly a talented and charismatic actor as he has shown in his past roles, and his performance here only goes further to reinforce his already praiseworthy status in the industry. The Driver remains mostly devoid of feelings throughout the film, but Gosling manages to subtly inject emotion in his expressionless character, and that by itself is a remarkable feat.


The rest of the cast shines as well. Ron Pearlman and Albert Brooks play two ruthless mobsters that stir up much unneeded trouble for our protagonist, while Bryan Cranston takes the role of his dependable companion and mentor. Carey Mulligan stars as Irene, the sweet girl next door and eventual love interest. Oscar Isaac and Christina Hendricks make an appearance as well, rounding up a highly impressive group of players. The acting is solid, with Brooks and Cranston delivers perhaps the most noteworthy performances.

One could argue that great films can be divided in two distinct categories those that revolve around an original idea – be it one that comes in form of a narrative, visual quality, filmmaking technique, or otherwise – and those that build their foundation on a familiar concept (or formula, if you will) and successfully deliver a noteworthy final product. Drive does not stand out through its narrative structure, and neither do any innovative tendencies it might have propel it in the spotlight; instead, the film takes a well-known formula and spins it completely around, adding both style and substance during the process. As such, it falls within the latter category – and yes, it’s definitely one for the books.