Drive is far from the Fast and the Furious. It may not be as action-packed, but you can be assured that car chases are no doubt prevalent throughout the movie. Adapted from the novel by James Sallis, Drive extends its storyline into the deepest depths of human emotions and an unpredicted spiral of events from a robbery gone wrong. Talented actors such as Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, and Albert Brooks exhibit outstanding performances, portraying truly dynamic characters in the movie.
The unnamed protagonist (often referred to as “Driver”, played by Ryan Gosling), in a simple way to put it, drives. During the day, he is a movie stuntman and a mechanic at his friend Shannon’s (Bryan Cranston) auto-shop. During the night, he associates with robberies by protecting the crooks from the cops in a five minute time slot. Driver is known for his precision and skill in driving, and is noticed by mobsters such as Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) who wants to make money off of him. He doesn’t mind, as long as his sole purpose is to drive.
However, when he becomes attached to Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son, he is willing to do anything for them out of love. When Irene’s husband, recently released from prison, has a debt to owe that puts his family in danger, Driver decides to help him. When a robbery of a pawn shop finishes with a murder, the plan transforms into an act of survival for Driver as he risks his life to protect Irene and her son.
What makes this movie so powerful and dynamic? Drive deems to be so by not what is said, but by what is not said. The lack of dialogue between characters and especially by Driver presents a poetic feel, which allows the audience to perceive the emotions solely through sight. It is also what makes Driver’s qualities and character so unique and dynamic since we can not hear what he says to establish what we think of him. Instead, we see him as his actions reveal who he really is on the inside and what goes on in his mind. The romance between him and Irene also proves to be powerful for the same reason; because we see it, yet the emotions of human love go deeper than that, which is often rare in movies.
The movie’s cinematography is bold and beautiful as it emits an atmosphere similar to the 1920s era, where mobsters ruled the streets and the good guy tries to save his girl by being involved in some shady business.
The plot line may be hard to follow for some audiences due to the many twists that occur in the movie. Some questions may be left unanswered. Overall, through great cinematography and performances by the actors, I would highly recommend this movie. A little precaution: Do not watch this if you can’t handle some blood and violence.
