Finally, out of a moment of extreme boredom and a thirst for the theater, I finally made my way to the closest cinema to check out a movie. I was originally hoping to see "Warrior" (because of that whole MMA thing I'm into, plus the fact that I'd been watching Bruce Lee, Van Damme, and some other martial arts movies), but I may have missed the ball on that one. So I figured I'll go with some new release that has some hype behind it and maybe is more to my taste. It didn't take much deliberation to choose what ticket to get:
Drive
The nameless protagonist of this film (Ryan Gosling) is an extraordinary driver who puts his talents to use on two types of jobs: movie stunts and getaway driving. After making friends with a neighbor (Carey Mulligan) and her son, he sees the upside to life until her jailbird husband returns home. In debt to some gangsters, the "driver" helps him with a heist that goes way off course, and ends up putting himself, his neighbor, his mechanic shop boss (Bryan Cranston) in some big trouble with a couple of mobsters (Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman).
Make no mistake, while the well-known veterans play their parts well, this is Gosling's movie. I would consider this his break-out role (the only other movie I've seen him in is "Remember the Titans"), as he plays the calm, cool, and collected main character who is all business when sh!t hits the fan (best way I can put that). He has a flair for this type of drama, and other than his good looks he is something different from the tough Hollywood-action guys that have been coming around lately.
This movie definitely oozes with style. It's a modern movie with a touch of the 80's thrown in (the music and some of the clothing invoke that), and there is bit of that "mobster" look thrown in for good measure. Everything about the setting is believable, with the setting in Los Angeles as the perfect backdrop for the story.
If you were expecting this to be a full-fledged action movie, you may want to rethink that for a moment. While there are a couple of dedicated scenes to some action, this is very much drama-driven compared to other movies like "Fast Five." A couple of fight scenes and driving sequences, while very well done, are not the central focus. Most of that goes to the character played by Gosling (rightly so I feel) and his relationships with his neighbor and his mentor. So definitely don't look for an adrenaline-rush from this one (though I'll admit a couple of moments will make you sit up) as it is explicitly done in a slow manner.
Those out there who appreciated some of the old-school heist films (which this movie draws inspiration from) may enjoy this type of movie. Action-goers may not find what they're looking for, but I personally would recommend this movie to them anyways. Seeing something different like this may be good for a change. You're still seeing a strong, well-acted, stylish film that though inspired by the past stands out on its own when compared to other movies this year. Give it at least five minutes, and even the opening will get your attention. Five minutes factors into the rules set by Gosling's character:
If I drive for you, you give me a time and a place. I give you a five-minute window, anything happens in that five minutes and I'm yours no matter what. I don't sit in while you're running it down; I don't carry a gun... I drive.
Truth be told, I got in my car after this movie and definitely felt different. It was an adrenaline rush like after seeing "Fast Five" but it was more........contemplative.
