Drive (2011) Film Review - Blase Biello

Blase Biello
Drive Review

Drive is nothing short of visually spectacular. Drive goes further than to just show itself off as a story, it exemplifies itself as a piece of art. The lighting, cinematography, coloring, and wide array of shots/angles were just some of the nails hit right on the head by the entire crew behind the making of Drive. Drive, in my opinion, was a movie that was immensely overlooked by many; that’s why I am able to consider this movie a hidden gem to anyone has yet to see it.          

Along with the beautiful visuals by cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel, director Nicolas Winding Refn does an amazing job of visualizing and recreating Hossein Amini’s script. Refn takes this movie, and with his filmmaking skills, winds a dark web that spirals and intersects with multiple characters and plot points all putting them onto the giant web of Drive.  Although the story can seem drawn out at some points, there’s beautiful montages to take the space and get the audience through it. In my opinion, I really liked the pacing of the film and the aesthetics it came wrapped with. I didn’t mind watching Gosling cruise the streets in his muscle cars because it was visually pleasing. However, one thing that I would’ve modified in the script would definitely have to be more car chases. For the car chases that did happen had me on the edge of my seat, I would’ve enjoyed a couple more, but that’s just my action-hunger getting riled up. 

Drive is chock full of thematic elements to say the least. On the surface you can easily find; loyalty, mysteriousness, loneliness, love, connection, misfortune, miscommunication and lack of, vulnerability, and bad timing. Throughout the movie the main character, Ryan Gosling, only known as The Driver remains pretty quite, a loner for the most part speaking only when he has too, and keeping it brief when he does. Drive has a layer of loyalty, loneliness, and mysteriousness that he carries throughout the film along with a bunch of other qualities, but they seem to be the ones that shine the brightest. You can find loyalty in the pride Driver takes in his work, taking multiple getaway driver jobs from his friend/boss Shannon played by Bryan Cranston. Driver is loyal to his word giving his clients only 5 minutes to take care of their business before the job is officially, not his problem. You can see this in the opening sequence of the film when Driver is on his job, following each requirement to the fullest and completing the job; successfully transporting the robbers. Driver’s loneliness is anything but unnoticeable as he spends little time in his house, and driving the streets at night alone; not to be bothered by anybody. 

Fortunately, Driver finds love and with that love comes communication; something that he has been lacking and in need of, for what appears to be some time. His love comes from his neighbor, Irene, played by Carey Mulligan. The two become closer and closer as the film goes on; regardless of Irene’s husband who comes back from jail but is killed. Some of the only smiles that Driver sheds in the movie are ones towards Irene and her son, Benicio. One of the first signs of love comes with the montage of Driver driving Irene and Benicio down the dry Los Angeles River and spending some time at the crick nearby. Another theme found throughout the movie is misfortune. There is misfortune in almost every character’s live and it all seems to be in result of each other. Driver is brought misfortune by Shannon’s tragic mafia deal, Irene and Benicio is brought misfortune by her husband’s crime involvement and death, Standard (Benicio’s father) is brought misfortunate by still being stuck in the mafia’s hands as he once was before jail, amongst many other misfortunes. Drive is a very dark look into the life of crime and intersecting everyday-life and it is severely darkened and twisted by director, Refn. The one example, I’d have to say that stuck to me as one of the most misfortunate events in the movie, is the scene where Driver, Blanche, and Standard go to rob the pawn-shop. Just as you think Standard is safe and out of the life of crime, he is killed by the shop owner right in front of Driver and Blanche. This really stood out to me because Standard was really just trying to do this last thing and leave that type of life, but it was just one job to many. 

There were many important scenes throughout the movie. One of the most important and impacting sequences would probably have to be the opening sequence. There was definitely a layer of mysteriousness and tranquility as Driver manipulated multiple systems to escape from the cops and create a nice diversion for his hasty escape by using the busy parking lot. This scene really established the intensity that Gosling was going to hold as the main character, Driver, throughout the movie. Another important scene would have to be the scene where Driver, Irene, and Benicio spend some time together driving down the Los Angeles River and hanging out. This established a connection between all three of them, that cannot be found between any other characters in the movie. I thought that this sequence was a good support and nice building block for Irene and Driver’s relationship as well. Another scene that I found not only important, but more entertaining was the night of Standard’s return and party. As Irene and Driver talked in the hallway, Standard and Benicio came out to take out the trash. Standard had already heard much about Driver and it was hard to say what was about to happen between the two men, Driver and Standard. At some points in the conversation it felt as though they were going to fight or even become friends. However, the meeting went fairly smoothly and there was no fight; which personally I thought was going to happen by the tone in Standard’s voice at the beginning of the conversation. 

Another scene that I found very important to the movie was the pawn-shop heist/chase scene. As Standard is gunned down; Blanche and Driver drive away pursued by a mysteriously fast Chrysler 300. Fortunately, Driver escapes the pursuers. However, this shows that they were not only being monitored but set-up. This adds an element of suspicion, wonder, and angst as Driver later tries to find out who was chasing them through whatever Blanche knows. This was a very entertaining scene and the car chase shots were on point throughout. Another scene that is very important to the overall movie is towards the end when Bernie Rose pays a visit to Shannon. During this scene, Bernie slits Shannon’s entire forearm open and leaves him to die. At this point it was clear that everything was going to spiral downward from there, ending in nothing but bloodshed. Driver later finds Shannon dead in the shop, a very powerful piece of the scene. Driver definitely appears upset over the loss of his friend Shannon and hungry for revenge. That is why I found this scene to be very important and powerful. 

Drive’s multiple story lines develop well into each other and flow nicely. On one side you have the story of Driver and Irene’s developing love and on the other side you have the bad mafia deal drama unfolding. As much development that there was between Irene and Driver, I’d have to say the story line of the mafia deal was definitely more compelling because of the immense amount of characters/heists involved. With the love story there is no fear of losing any of the likable characters, but with the mafia side there is constant fear that one of the main characters will be taken out, which they eventually are. I’d have to say the scene where Shannon is killed in cold-blood is definitely more compelling than Irene playing with broken-off crab claws at the crick. Maybe it’s just because I’m a guy that I found the crime-side story more compelling and interesting. However, I can say that the most important relationship developed on the love side, goes to Driver and Irene. It seems that Irene is the only one in the film that can bring Driver out of the one dimensional silent mood he is usually in. She brings out qualities in him that you cannot see brought out by any of the other characters. When he’s with her you see communication, happiness, and desire. Much of Driver’s character development comes through Irene’s love. You see a brighter side to Driver’s character when he’s around Irene, and that keeps the audience from getting bored of him, I think. Much of the connection between these two characters come through visual elements, such as brighter lighting and close angles. The music that goes along with their montages together also brings them together as a powerful relationship in the film. 

I 100% recommend anyone to see Drive if they haven’t and if they have watch it again and again. There are so many different things to see and notice that can easily be missed after watching only one time. I thought this was a really solid film and definitely deserved a nomination in a category other than sound mixing, I think this movie should’ve definitely been nominated for Best Achievement in Cinematography due to its fresh, clean look. Enjoy Drive as a piece of art and as a darkly-spirally-webbed story.