This puts him in the same company as other famous existential heroes, such as the Man with No Name, played by Clint Eastwood in the Sergio Leone westerns: capable, quiet, intense, and yet, you suspect, with a lonely core. With no one in his life, no one to love, what is his… well, inner drive, to live? You’re not sure he has one, or needs any, besides his daredevil need for speed; despite him falling in love with Irene, his baby-faced, cherubic looking neighbour played by Carey Mulligan eventually, it is not clear that his affection for her is his motivation to do what he does.
His lingering mystery is part of the film’s intrigue, because there really isn’t much to say of the film by way of plot. And the less you know about the plot, the better. But it`s the way that director Nicholas Winding Refn plays with his stripped down, bare-bones plot that really counts. Driver’s emotions, his motivations, and any approximation of a history plays out on his face. He can be serene and calm one moment, and the next, displaying such a brutal outburst of violence that each scene is unpredictable and riveting. You learn to revel in the moment.
Drive, like Refn’s other films Bronson and Valhalla Rising (not released in Singapore, but you can get it at good DVD shops), is awash with gory blood-splattering and fiery explosions of rage, but there is an elegance in the way the violence is filmed that redeems it from being a mere gag-fest. Likewise, there is incredible poetry in the scenes shared by Driver and Irene; their scenes are always near wordless, and you sense the passion, and also restraint, of the lovers. But the beautiful lighting and Carey Mulligan’s doe-eyed vulnerability complements Gosling`s hard-boiled exterior so much, there is a compulsively watchable chemistry between both of them. And despite the action being the meat of the film, their shared scenes are really what hold the film together.
SUMMARY: A hyper-stylish, hypnotic thrill ride that will leave you enthralled from beginning to the end.
RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Raymond Tan