October 2011 ~ action a go go

DRIVE

Stunts and Effects: 95%
Logic: 90%
Soundtrack: 90%
TnA: 60%
Cognitive Decline of Audience: 04%
Overall Inches on the Action Erection Scale: 11 out of 12

This is coming at you from the great divide. I've been pretty slow lately, but it's because I have a decent excuse. I'm working on a novel, and am going to self publish it soon, and have been toiling away in seclusion. But, I have been watching movies, and am here to report to you about my official top movie of the year, DRIVE (2011, Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn).

The story is blood simple. A nameless Hollywood Stuntman (Ryan Gosling) moonlights as a driver for anybody that pays well and stays quiet. You give him a place, and a time, and the money, and he'll give you five minutes. As the story unfolds, he ends up getting in over his head with gangsters after he tries to help his neighbors ex con husband take care of a debt. Carey Mulligan (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps) plays Irene, the beautiful neighbor he falls in love with, while Oscar Isaac (SUCKER PUNCH) plays Standard, the ex con in over his head.

The gangsters are rounded out by a collection of all stars. Cristina Hendricks plays the strung out accomplice, Blanche, trying to get out of a debt herself. It’s the polar opposite of the iconic role she plays as Joan Harris in Mad Men, and she pulls it off perfectly. Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Lincoln Lawyer (2011)) plays Shannon, the Drivers manager of the legal and illegal variety, while Ron Perlman plays Nino, a ruthless mobster who doesn't show any mercy to anyone he meets. The biggest surprise of the movie is Bernie Rose, played spot on by comedy legend Albert Brooks. That's right, that tough as nail actor from The Muse (1999) and Finding Nemo (2003) plays the baddest motherfu**ing gangster of the year. It just adds more greatness to the best damn movie of my movie watching year.

You better find me that f***in' fish or I'll cut your balls off!

There is so much about this movie I love it's hard to know where to start. In this age of fast “Bourne” style editing it was SO refreshing to see a movie that didn't rely on shaky cam and other BS gimmicks to create a false sense of excitement. If there was ever a move that actually learned lessons from such car chase classics as BULLIT (1968), The Seven-Ups (1973), The French Connection (1971), and Vanishing Point (1971) this is it. The car chasing are fun, exciting, and loaded with tension not present in most modern action films.

But unlike those films, if you put “Stanley Kubrick” in the part that says “Directed by” you wouldn't be stupid if you thought he actually directed it. The movie has Kubrick elements all over it. The pacing, line delivery, and the “simplicity” of the story are all elements you could juxtapose with (certain) Kubrick films. The movie has received raved reviews and the director, Winding Refn, has already won Best Director at the Canne film festival, which is not a small honor these days. He's also done BRONSON (2008) and VALHALLA RISING (2009). I've seen both of those movies, and I don't know what either of them was about, but they were both good. I'm exaggerating, I know what both were about, and they were just really “out there”. With DRIVE we have a simple action story that simmers throughout. Its amazing storytelling, and this director deserved the praise, because like Kubrick’s classics, you can feel the director telling this story, pushing and pulling you along whether you like it or not.

One important aspect of the film that hammers home that point is the music. At times it fills the emptiness and acts as a chorus, reminding us where we are and telling us where we need to go, or what is going on. Of course you could say that any major movie has these elements but in this film the music takes a primacy and carry's everything along. Also, it has a heavy 80's vibe, and these days anything with even a hint of 80's makes me want to dream. I am going to get the soundtrack at all costs.

What else can I wax on about? It’s shot buetifully. It's written well. It lacks pretention. Do I have any criticisms? Yes, the Driver comes off as a bit of a Zombie, and the movie can be slow at times. Not to me, I thought the pacing was great, but I heard some people complaining about it on the way out. But that was them, not me.

If you are a car guy (as I) or a movie person (as I) go see this movie. It is haunting, hypnotic, exhilarating, and at times sublime. It’s stellar. My favorite of the year, hands down.

PS: At least until Imortals comes out. I am a huge Tarsem Singh fan, and this movie looks like it is going to be pretty amazing.