Drive (2011)

Driver: If I drive for you, you get your money. You tell me where we start, where we're going, where we're going afterwards. I give you five minutes when we get there. Anything happens in that five minutes and I'm yours. No matter what. Anything a minute on either side of that and you're on your own. I don't sit in while you're running it down. I don't carry a gun. I drive.
Cook: You look like you're hard to work with.

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Producer: Michel Litvak, John Palermo, Marc Platt, Gigi Pritzker, Adam Siegel
Main Cast: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman
Runtime: 100 minutes

Inspired by such classics as Point Blank (1967), Two-Lane Blacktop (1971), The Driver (1978) and Thief (1981) Nicolas Winding Refn made a film that is tough as nails whilst still having a feel of realism unlike the modern and, in my opinion, overrated Baby Driver (2016) which has its moments but overall runs a little flat.

Just like The Driver (1978) and Baby Driver (2016), the main character, who is simply known as “Driver”, does not talk much but as there is bit of a love story involved he does break open with a few sentences in some scenes but most of the acting is done via the eyes, expressions etc, at least for him.  The other characters talk normally throughout the film.  The cinematography is great with its use of lighting which makes me think that it would look great in black and white for that real contrasty look.

Essentially the story is about a Driver (Ryan Gosling) who is naturally very good at what he does and that is drive.  He hires himself out as a getaway driver for crooks who want the best chance money can buy to escape from the scene of the crime.  Driver helps out and starts falling for Irene (Carey Mulligan) but then finds out that her husband “Standard” (Oscar Isaac) is just about to be released from jail for a heist he pulled that went wrong.  The husband gets forced to pull off another job and the driver agrees to drive for him to ensure a getaway.  What they do not realise is that they have been setup.  It’s a fairly standard storyline but just played out well.

Right at the opening we see that quiet confidence break through as we see a getaway in action at night but don’t expect extreme Hollywood stunt driving here but just good realistic driving that you would expect in real life as he tries to steer away from the police.  This grows in intensity as the movie progresses but from watching the movie you get a feeling that the movie isn’t about getting the best driving stunts, but rather the characters and circumstances.  

Overall it is a really good movie that has some impressive driving and performances.  The story (even though it follows a familiar line) keeps you in, has good moments of suspense and a real neo-noir feel to it.  There are some brutal scenes in the movie and unfortunately a decent dose of swearing but stuff which probably isn’t out of character for the crooks involved.  It’s well worth watching in my opinion especially if you like the heist type of film that involves some great driving moments that feel real as opposed to those that make use of CGI.

The bluray reviewed is the Australian release and can be bought for a reasonable price.  The image is in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and is in pristine condition and the audio is right up there to match it in its 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio flavour which makes the movie shine.  The bluray is a bit slim on extras and contains the following:

• Cast and Crew Interviews
• Behind the scenes of Drive

Overall, this is a great movie that has the driving, acting, story and thrills you would expect to see from a heist/getaway film like this but it does it with a sense of realism that suits the style of film.  Highly Recommended.

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