Drive

I feel sorry for that woman who is trying to sue the promoters of Drive. Basically, she was expecting it to be more like Fast & Furious. Drive is everything that Fast & Furious is not… and that’s a good thing.
Drive is dark, violent, artistic, stylish, unpredictable, eerie and moving. It's top-notch in regards to casting, acting, editing and direction from Nicolas Winding Refn. Most importantly, it is completely different to anything else we’ve seen this decade.
At the centre of it all, Ryan Gosling has crafted a hero as bold as Eastwood’s Harry Callahan; with the loner tendencies of DeNiro’s Travis Bickle. His nameless character is endearing but leaves you feeling uneasy, as you try to decide whether he’s a nice guy in the wrong place or just a full-blown psycho. His scorpion jacket will no doubt become as iconic as Scarface’s suits or The Dude’s dressing gown.
The supporting cast is a fantastic mix of talented veterans and up-and-coming stars. After Breaking Bad, I kept expecting Bryan Cranston to snap, yell and then kill someone with a homemade explosive, but he stuck to the spineless mentor well.
Carey Mulligan looked too young for her role but has a charm that won’t fade away anytime soon, while Christina Hendricks received way too much marketing attention considering her minor role. Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks complemented each other well, playing the men at the top. Their interesting dynamic prevented the characters from being the typical one-dimensional gangsters.
The reason Drive works so well is that it doesn’t try to please a specific audience. Actually, it’s hard to put a finger on who the intended audience actually is. There are those that will love the cinematography but hate the extreme violence; there are some that will love the action but hate the silent exchanges between Gosling and Mulligan, while others will just go for Gosling but hate the lack of abs on display.
Then there are those who just love original films, and they will appreciate everything that Drive has to offer.
If this were made in the ‘80s it would already be hailed as a cult classic and it’s obvious that Drive is a nod to the decade – from the hot-pink opening credits to the warped soundtrack from Cliff Martinez.
 I encourage everyone to go and check this one out.
Rating: A