Drive (2011)

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Canelek
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Drive (2011)

Post by Canelek »

It is a bit difficult for me to put together a full on review about this film. I think I am still catching my breath. A huge departure from what you would think by its title, Drive is the story of a stunt driver and part time getaway driver who falls in love with a woman that has complex relationship issues. It is almost a Romeo & Juliet scenario as they cannot do much about their feelings, even though barely a word is spoken. In order to save the life of the gal (the scrumptious Carey Mulligan) and her child, the Driver (skilfully played by Ryan Gosling) does the wrong thing for the right reasons and ends up in a shitstorm (said shitstorm being the vicious Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman).

Gosling and Mulligan are simply fantastic. Their chemistry is palpable and beautiful. The screenplay must have had a word count, as dialogue is at a minimum here. Instead, director Nicolas Winding Refn uses imagery and sound to convey the feeling of the film. The soundtrack reminded me of a Badelamenti track from Twin Peaks. You can even catch a bit of David Lynch here and there, but that may have just been the effect of the 'track. Gosling has I am guessing as few lines as Eastwood in some of his more awesome Spagetti Westerns. Dude has skills as a smile, body language and a look were plenty in most cases to convey what words often cannot.

Violence? Yes! Some of the more violent parts screamed Grindhouse! Good stuff, and not overblown, since that wasn't the point they were trying to make.

Car chases? YES! Some of the most fun and tension-riddled I have experienced in film. Beautiful!

Oh --> The most-excellent Bryan Cranston has a minor role and knocks it out, as one would expect. Well done!

GO SEE THIS. Drive is a fucking ride.

I find no flaws, no problem, no annoyance nor anything else to make me give Drive anything less than:

10/10
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Aslanna
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Re: Drive (2011)

Post by Aslanna »

How was Nicolas Cage?!
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Re: Drive (2011)

Post by Canelek »

Aslanna wrote:How was Nicolas Cage?!
While he was in Wild at Heart (Excellent David Lynch film), Cage was not in Drive (phew!)!

However, Russ Tamblyn was in Drive in a very minor role. You may remember Russ from Twin Peaks (Dr. Jacoby). Yet another Lynch tie-in without David Lynch!
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Re: Drive (2011)

Post by Winnow »

I enjoyed the movie.

It's a little slow moving but it's meant to be that way. This has got to set a record for least lines from the main character except for maybe a Clint Eastwood movie or two. It was a strange combination of over the top violence combined with realistic relationships.

Slightly odd, open-ended ending.

Main character is the lead actor from "The Notebook". Main character from Breaking Bad (Canno mentioned Bryan Cranston but I didn't know who that was) has a part as well.

Worth a watch!
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Re: Drive (2011)

Post by Bubba Grizz »

It reminded me of an 80's movie actually with all the montage music telling the story. I'm not as excited about the movie as Can but I found it enjoyable.
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Re: Drive (2011)

Post by Aslanna »

Ryan Gosling's crime drama Drive may have been a hit with critics, earning a score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, but one Michigan woman was so unhappy with the film -- she's suing.

Sarah Deming has filed a lawsuit against FilmDistrict claiming that the distributors, "promoted the film Drive as very similar to the Fast and Furious, or similar, series of movies."

The film, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, sees Gosling as an unnamed stunt driver by day who moonlights as getaway driver by night. While the movie features a few impressive car scenes, the story centers mostly on the Driver's relationship with Carey Mulligan's character and several gruesome casualties along his journey to protect her family from harm.

"Drive bore very little similarity to a chase, or race action film… having very little driving in the motion picture," the suit continues. "Drive was a motion picture that substantially contained extreme gratuitous defamatory dehumanizing racism directed against members of the Jewish faith, and thereby promoted criminal violence against members of the Jewish faith.

Deming is seeking a refund for her movie ticket, in addition to halting the production of "misleading movie trailers" in the future. The plaintiff intends to turn her individual case into a class action lawsuit, thereby allowing fellow movie-goers an opportunity to share in the settlement, reports Detroit's WDIV-TV.
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Re: Drive (2011)

Post by Canelek »

To misquote Freud, "sometimes a movie is just a movie".


And sometimes, people protest things because impotent rage sets aside reason.

:)
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Re: Drive (2011)

Post by Drolgin Steingrinder »

I can think of the first 20 movie trailers that deserve a suit long, long, LONG before Drive (which was pretty damn cool).
IT'S HARD TO PUT YOUR FINGER ON IT; SOMETHING IS WRONG
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Re: Drive (2011)

Post by Kaldaur »

Two for two now, Canelek! I watched The Dead on your recommendation, and now Drive. Both were excellent.

I find that Ryan Gosling falls in the same category as Leo DiCaprio. I hated their first movies with a passion, and then had to re-examine my thoughts on them after they put out great movie after great movie. I can honestly say that besides The Notebook, Gosling has been in amazing movies ever since. I'm sure he's had a dud or two, but not one I've seen.

And as for Carey Mulligan, the girl could stare at a glass window for two hours and I'd paid to see it. She makes my heart go a-flutter.
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Re: Drive (2011)

Post by Aslanna »

I didn't particularly care for this movie. I didn't mind the slow parts or the sparse dialogue but overall it just felt it was more about style than substance.

6/10. And that's being generous!
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