Geek Speak – Watch This: Drive
by Daniel
image ©FilmDistrict, source Wikipedia
If you enjoy films with loner heroes, suspense, and BRVTAL action, then Drive (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn) is the film for you. I saw Drive, starring Ryan Gosling, over the weekend and enjoyed every moment.
Our hero, played by Gosling, is never given a name—he is known only as Driver or the Kid. Driver is a mechanic/stunt driver by day, but a getaway driver for hire by night. Now, this is a film which could have easily been a Fast in the Furious clone, or a rehashed Gone in 60 Seconds (by which I mean the Michael Bay re-make).
Thankfully, Drive is neither of these. It is not filled with explosions, a Top 40 music soundtrack, or three-cuts-a-second action editing.
Drive is filled with mood, tension and suspense.
Yes, Nicolas Winding Refn uses many (many) drawn out dramatic pauses with the shot locked on Gosling, but given that most action films today are filled with super-quick editing, it was an enjoyable change. The lingering shots on Gosling force the viewer to connect with him even more, and to notice his subtle acting.
Then, there is the violence. It is spaced out and sparse, but when it happens, it hits you like a truck. The violence is gory and rather over the top, and contrasts with the drawn out, quiet dramatic scenes. Don’t let Gosling’s charm and track record of romantic films fool you: this is a very violent film.
Gosling is great as the loner, man of few words Driver, and he gets excellent support from Bryan Cranston (the fatherly mechanic, Shannon), Ron Perlman (the tough guy gangster, Nino), and Albert Brooks (Shannon’s gangster connection, Bernie).
Brooks’ performance was against his usual type and, without giving too much away, will surprise you (he was the voice of Nemo’s dad in Finding Nemo, and is a Simpsons regular–not to mention his directorial oeuvre, and that little movie about the news). I always enjoy seeing comedy actors take on serious, villainous rules—something about their comedy background makes these roles much more sinister, and Brooks does not disappoint. My fellow Firefly geeks will be happy to hear Christina Hendricks (Saffron on Firefly) has a brief, albeit important, role.
Lastly, there is the soundtrack. As I stated before, Drive does not have the “typical” action film soundtrack (which is fair, considering Drive is not your typical action film, nor is it really an action film to being with). The soundtrack is an interesting mix of electronic house music and an original score–and I pre-ordered it the day after seeing the film.
If you enjoy films a bit on the Art House side, then go check out Drive. It will shock and awe you. It was, off the top of my head, one of my favorite films of 2011, second only to Attack the Block.
–
Daniel J. Hogan is the geek half of Ginger and the Geek. He is also a photoblogger and host of the Magic of Eyri Podcast. He wants a pair of driving gloves. Follow him on Twitter, @danieljhogan.
