“Drive” is a twisted and compelling trip
Director Nicholas Winding Refn is no stranger to creating an edgy feel in his films (“Pusher I II and III”), and “Drive” is no exception.
Refn has created a film that seems odd and sweet to begin with, but don’t be fooled; midway through things change and the quirky mood turns to a dark and twisted one with unforgettable imagery.
Ryan Gosling plays an unnamed mechanic who drives for a living, both in get away cars and as a Hollywood stunt man. He’s quiet, reserved, and very unassuming.
His boss, played by Bryan Cranston, talks too much and tries too hard, but has looked out for them both for years, and is ready to get them out of whatever trouble may come their way.
The trouble comes in the form of a pretty young mother (Carey Mulligan), her soon-to-be-released jail bound husband and their precocious son. Her husband, upon his release, finds that he has an old mob debt to repay and gets help from the mechanic in settling it. It’s here that we get to see there’s a little more to the mechanic’s quiet demeanor than what we thought. It’s here that we see his desire to fight for the mother and her son even if he has to settle her husband’s debt to show her his devotion to her.
Things go horribly wrong at this point. Blood flows freely, and continues to from this point on. What should have been a quick fix becomes a mess and the mechanic now finds it’s his head is on the chopping block.
Gosling (“The Notebook,” “Blue Valentine,” “Crazy Stupid Love”) turns in yet another great performance here. Always pushing the envelope just before it becomes too cartoony. We see there’s something behind the quiet exterior. We know there’s something brewing there, but we don’t know what is hiding literally just below the surface. He’s fascinating to watch.
The same goes for Mulligan (“An Education,” “Public Enemies”) who also creates a character that makes us forget anything else she has ever done. The fear and longing behind her eyes is tortuous and yet understandable. She has a young child to think about and a husband. The more she finds out about the mechanic and who he is the more she wants to run, yet you can see she is trying to find a way not to.
Cranston (“Contagion,” “Breaking Bad”) is a jumble of fantastic nerves; great supporting work. Almost steals the film.
Albert Brooks (“Finding Nemo,” “Broadcast News”) and Rom Perlman (“Sons of Anarchy,” “Conan the Barbarian”) play the two west coast “mob” members.
Brooks is always great, but here, his comedic bad guy seems out of place. Wrong in fact. And Perlman’s snarling is overdone. We’ve seen it before and better. It’s just old.
“Drive” is a great film despite some minor casting issues. Direction is clean, and disturbing and the cinematography and editing keep us watching like we’re a car full of looky-lou’s on the freeway looking at a bad car accident. We can’t look away.