Ryan Gosling stars in Nicolas Winding Refns stylish drama thriller.
Heres our review of a great, hard-hitting movie…
Cinema history is filled with monosyllabic male heroes.
In this respect, Nicolas Winding RefnsDriveis pure Hollywood cliche, a contemporary reworking of 50s Western,Shane.
The drivers carefully ordained life changes when he meets Irene (Carey Mulligan).
Its a familiar scenario, but Refn constantly goes against the generic thriller grain.
One shotgun attack in particular resulted in an audible gasp from certain members of the audience.
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And then theres the fabulous cast.
Goslings the perfect choice, too, for the character of a cool-headed stunt driver and post-heist wheelman.
His getaway driving isnt the tyre-shredding, tail-sliding stuff of 80s Hollywood, but calculated and economical.
This is, in short, one of the few relatively realistic depictions of driving in thriller cinema.
This isnt to say thatDriveis at all naturalistic.
Its the sort of thing Stallone or Van Damme would have draped over their shoulders in their Reagan-era prime.
The casting of Gosling really makes sense when you see him alongside Carey Mulligans cherubic girl next door.
This isnt to say thatDrives violence is gratuitous, however.
Its one misstep in an otherwise exemplary movie.
Rating:
5 out of 5
