“Drive” is a contemplative but somehow concise film that limits the chitchat to the absolute minimum and lets the images talk instead. Every frame, every line is carefully thought to be functional to the story. The relaxed pacing and hypnotic retro aesthetics lull the audience only to suddenly wake them up with bursts of graphic violence. The structure reflects Ryan Gosling’s character: a solitary and taciturn figure who acts quiet and distant, but at the same time doesn’t mind resorting to violence when needed. The character is partly inspired by Walter Hill’s “The Driver”, a getaway driver who also happens to have no name or known background. He looks like some kind of western outlaw hero at first, but eventually doesn’t seem to follow a clear moral code. He might just be a crazed misfit who happened to have enjoyed the pleasures of human contact for once. For some reason I am not a big fan of Gosling’s acting, but his performance grows on you as the film goes by.
Cinematographically elegant and sophisticated and backed up by an undeniably chic synth-pop soundtrack, “Drive” became one of the films that dictated the trend for independent filmmakers of this generation. It’s also Nicolas Winding Refn’s most appreciated film as, unlike his later work, manages to be formally impeccable without lacking substance. Much more entertaining and than I remembered.
Review by manicureVIP 4BlockedParent2021-05-01T14:24:31Z
“Drive” is a contemplative but somehow concise film that limits the chitchat to the absolute minimum and lets the images talk instead. Every frame, every line is carefully thought to be functional to the story. The relaxed pacing and hypnotic retro aesthetics lull the audience only to suddenly wake them up with bursts of graphic violence. The structure reflects Ryan Gosling’s character: a solitary and taciturn figure who acts quiet and distant, but at the same time doesn’t mind resorting to violence when needed. The character is partly inspired by Walter Hill’s “The Driver”, a getaway driver who also happens to have no name or known background. He looks like some kind of western outlaw hero at first, but eventually doesn’t seem to follow a clear moral code. He might just be a crazed misfit who happened to have enjoyed the pleasures of human contact for once. For some reason I am not a big fan of Gosling’s acting, but his performance grows on you as the film goes by.
Cinematographically elegant and sophisticated and backed up by an undeniably chic synth-pop soundtrack, “Drive” became one of the films that dictated the trend for independent filmmakers of this generation. It’s also Nicolas Winding Refn’s most appreciated film as, unlike his later work, manages to be formally impeccable without lacking substance. Much more entertaining and than I remembered.