Drive (2011) is one of my favorite movies of all time. Directed by Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn and based on a novel by James Sallis, the story centers around a man who is an action stunt driver by day and getaway driver by night who gets into a tough spot when he meets a next door neighbor and her son. Drive (2011) movie review
Played by Gosling, the driver comes off as a strong mysterious character who has no family. He lives a solitary life and seems to enjoy it. When he meets next door neighbor Irene (played by Cary Mulligan) and her son Benecio (played by Kaden Leos), he seems to become a bit more open to having a more intimate friendship. He doesn’t say much so we don’t know a lot about him. In this case it works well because his limited dialogue tends to put his non verbal actions on display. In fact, throughout the move, he says only 116 lines (or about 891 words).
For most of the movie the Driver doesn’t say much. He has scenes where he shows great deal of violence, but his calm demeanor and the treatment of those he deems good shows that he essentially has a relatively good side, all things considered. The story was partially inspired by Grimm’s Fairy tales, except it takes place in the Los Angeles area. It is a heavy drama where the character’s mood and music speaks volumes to what is happening/going to happen.
*SPOILER*One of the prime examples of this is an elevator scene where the driver beats up a criminal right before giving Irene a passionate kiss. She is horrified but this scene shows how images can evoke a lot of emotions rather than having line and lines of dialogue. It also shows the Driver is a new light – he shows his real side hoping that Irene will accept him for who he is. According to the director, this is where the Driver becomes more of a superhero, revealing his identity and his ability.
With a budget of $15 million USD, most of the shooting was done in Los Angeles, California. The director and Gosling drove around trying to pick out good locations to shoot in. They had to be dark and gloomy to match the novel’s tone. Many of the scenes were filmed at low angles and in low light to maintain the novel’s atmosphere. A lot of the filming was done at night to stay within the movie budget. A lot of the stunts were also done by Gosling himself. He completed a stunt driving crash course before the production began.
Overall the movie has heart. It can be extremely graphic at times when the Driver’s other personna comes out (AKA his “werewolf” side), but he is also a charming person. He is strong and calm while his neighbor is shy and vulnerable. He has never encountered such a situation where he has to step in and protect others. The Driver shows both sides of himself in scenes where a little is said, but the impact is heavy.
The driver is cold and calculating at times as all this emotion stands in the way of his performance, of what he feels like he was born to do. His connection to his neighbor doesn’t have much of a sexual undertone, only an emotional one. This seems to appeal to both of them. The violence in the movie was not put there to shock the audience. It has a different purpose that tells a lot about how he sees the world.
Recommended to everyone!
Thanks for reading my Drive (2011) movie review
