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Drive (2011)

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Time Out rating

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36 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

It’s been noted before that the irony of film noir was that it came from one of the sunniest places on earth – California. But while the original noir directors went to great lengths to mask the sunlit beauty of their surroundings, from the late ’60s another set of filmmakers took the staple elements of the genre – brooding heroes, gun-crazy villains, desperate dames – and brought them out into the light, making noir simultaneously more glossy, more vivid and, paradoxically, a whole lot colder.

The truly great ‘LA noir’ movies – ‘Point Blank’, ‘The Driver’, ‘Straight Time’, ‘To Live and Die in LA’, ‘Heat’ – share common characteristics beyond the basic clichés of the crime genre. These are movies informed by the city in which they were made, a city constructed of gleaming surfaces – six-lane highways, vast industrial wastelands and endless suburban sprawl – and a place where crime is grubby and small-time, carried out by empty, hopeless loners in hock to dapper despots with unpredictable personalities.

It’s in this world that we find the near-silent hero of ‘Drive’, Nicolas Winding Refn’s self-consciously slick, synth-scored throwback. Ryan Gosling plays the unnamed Driver, a mechanic and occasional getaway guy whose life is overturned when he meets Irene (Carey Mulligan), a struggling mum with a husband in the joint.

As all the above implies, this is a film built on familiarity, in terms of narrative and style: neon lights flash, rubber tyres screech, Gosling broods, Mulligan swoons and a trio of wisecracking, overdressed character actors – Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman and Bryan Cranston – provide both levity and dramatic weight. But ‘Drive’ never drags: this is an entirely welcome riff on old material, a pulse-pounding, electronically enhanced cover version of a beloved standard. Sure, it’s shallow, but it’s also slickly compelling, beautifully crafted and so damn shiny.

Author: Tom Huddleston

Time Out London Issue 2144: 22-28 Sept, 2011

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User reviews of this film

Jamie said...

Posted on May 09 2012 19:39 I really want to love this film as it honours many great movies; Collateral, Taxi Driver, etc. But, I cant. It promises car chase action, but never delivers. Gosling is dull, a pretty vacant character. The mobs are cliche. The love story is too chaste. It's certainly stylish, but very shallow with its story and emotion. Through most of the film, it reminded me of a video games chapter clip, like in GTA Liberty City.

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scrumpyjack said...

Posted on Mar 11 2012 04:53 watched for a 4th time (At the Prince Charles) before Xmas & twice on DVD....IT WILL feature in my (and MANY'S) top 10 of the DECADE....Cream

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Loulou said...

Posted on Mar 05 2012 10:21 Brilliantly engaging - a mood is created which certainly drew me in. Love the 80s feel. I was shocked by the violent bits, mainly because they were so 'out of the blue' but really no worse than what Tarantino comes up with (of whom I am a fan!) I thought Ryan was impressive, if laconic. But what the heck, it's something a little different! Good stuff.

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T Marotta said...

Posted on Feb 24 2012 06:07 This film was so violent that I marched it back to the Library at 10:30pm! I did not want it in the house overnight. I couldn't understand why such a star studded cast would take part in this. I decided it was a message to New York from L. A. that we are not so nice after all, you better watch out!

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mk57 said...

Posted on Feb 16 2012 05:14 This has to be one of the most boring , tirgid films I have ever had the displeasure to sit through in a long while.....don't be taken in by the pseuds who haven't the guts to tell the truth but would rather huddle in their fawning way to praise this unadulterated rubbish.....Avoid this film like the plague !

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Mike said...

Posted on Nov 09 2011 11:15 ARCHGATE - re' the soundtrack on CD - go to YouTube - it's all there - just search for "Drive" and "Ryan Gosling" - all the good tracks are there - Kavinsky's "Nightcall" which is used in when the opening titles appear against the background of the city at night - such shiny production. You might need to specifically search for "Riz Ortolani" and "Oh my love", which is the track used after the carnage in the garage - quite amazing - proper singing.

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Johnf said...

Posted on Nov 02 2011 14:51 Just saw this film and whilst not directly comparing it to the original 'The Driver' it delivered pretty much on the film noir theme i.e. underbelly , quirky characters etc - however Ryan Gosling's portrayal as the eponynomous anti hero is generally good, it is still not as good as Ryan O'Neals in the The Driver and as for Carey Mulligan give me Isabelle Adjani any day of the week ! great soundtrack though and a great cameo by Albert Brooks !

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ARCHGATE said...

Posted on Nov 02 2011 09:35 ScrumpDude - Agree 100%
this is brave film making which is totally served by the directors faith and conviction in his own abilities. The minute jump-backs are only appreciated after a second viewing. The stark violence somehow and against all odds is very funny. The hypnotic soundtrack to this film is sold out on CD. Beg borrow or bunk in to see this film.

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to ron nealis said...

Posted on Oct 24 2011 04:41 You must have been at a different movie, as the ending was anything other than "crazy". But it's not unusual for rival studios to plant derisory negative reviews on here to try to steer audiences to other movies, and I have to assume that's what yours is.

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ron nealis said...

Posted on Oct 20 2011 10:39 Looked forward to the movie having read Tom Huddleston review but he must have been at a different film. Boring slow yes I did kind of jump at the gunshoot but no pace poor plot and crazy ending

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Mike said...

Posted on Oct 16 2011 22:06 Saw it for a second time. Enjoyed it just as much as first time. I really like the photography in this film - some of the nighttime aerial shots are superb. The opening soundtrack is brilliant - Kavinsky's "Nightcall" (it's on YouTube). The script is good, and often the absense of any soundtrack works very well with the unusually quiet character Gosling plays. All-in-all a very good movie - and as with the film Hanna earlier this year, one that Scrumpyjack, Archgate, and I agree is worth seeing for a second time.

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scrumpyjack said...

Posted on Oct 14 2011 21:29 ARCHGATE, Admit, BROOKS "Shut the **** up" in the pizza shop disappoints but minor point. I must agree there's something missing...but he ain't it. "missing" don't add up to
jack when we are presented with a scintillating beaut like this...id say a longer version would garner a 10/10 agree?

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ARCHGATE said...

Posted on Oct 14 2011 14:26 Seen it a few times now. The handbrake doughnuts are superb and well worth the price of admission alone. The DIY section on hammering is also quite inspiring as well. Hypnotic film making despite some obvious poor choices in the casting. Looking forward to the DVD extras.

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scrumpyjack said...

Posted on Oct 13 2011 23:12 Viewed Fri, Mon & today. Astoundingly great. 9/10

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Paul said...

Posted on Oct 13 2011 00:59 Yes, almost a five star vote too for some beautifully controlled careful scenes and perfect soundtrack. Only dropping a star for some of the clichés, but a strong film for an edge of the seat story. You know it's all going to end badly, but you just aren't sure how much so. Probable Oscar nominee for director and lead actor.

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