As the nameless Driver at the center of the story, Ryan Gosling stars as a Los Angeles man who supports himself with day jobs working as a car mechanic and performing dangerous stunt driving for movie productions. At night, he also works occasional jobs driving the getaway car for armed heists. He’s without a name, without emotions, without loyalty – merely a driver-for-hire who allows only five minutes at the crime scene before he puts the pedal to the metal.
Driver and the Neighbor
Always ready with a toothpick in his mouth and a scorpion jacket on his back, Driver finds his identity behind the wheel of a car. His solitary world changes, however, when he gets to know his neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan), a young mother with a thuggish husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), who’s in prison. They begin a friendly relationship with the promise of more on the horizon. Although he remains a man of few words, he begins to develop feelings for the vulnerable (though not completely helpless) woman and her lovable little boy.
Alternately working for and against Driver are his long-time boss Shannon (Bryan Cranston) and two local gangsters (Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman) who want him for their new drag racing venture. Like any good driver, Gosling’s character flows with the traffic – following the path of least resistance to get through life – until a situation forces him to veer into another lane, so to speak. As the story develops, Driver becomes involved in an escalating series of crimes, and we see that he and Standard have even more in common than their attraction to Irene. Various L.A. crime bosses are aware of both men, and their lives become dangerously entangled.
Ryan Gosling Saves the Film
Drive is not a great movie in any respect. The story drifts all over the road from action movie (car chases galore) to crime drama (blood, guts, and eye-gouging) to romance (Irene and Driver have major obstacles) without truly succeeding in any genre. Dialogue sounds forced and forgettable.
The movie does, however, possess two highly appealing qualities: Gosling provides another stunning performance here as in his earlier work (Crazy Stupid Love, Lars and the Real Girl, Fracture, Half Nelson) and the edgy cinematography and soundtrack provide the cool factor for the film. What Drive lacks in depth of characters and storytelling, it makes up for in flash and style.
Drive
- A lonely stunt car driver falls in love with his neighbor, which in turn leads him into mob-related crimes for which he drives the getaway car.
- Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Kaden Leos
- Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
- Writers: Hossein Amini (screenplay); James Sallis (novel)
- Genre: Action Crime Drama
- Run Time: 100 minutes
- Rating: R (for strong brutal bloody violence, language, and some nudity)
- 3/5 – Good
- Additional Information: To watch a trailer and get more information about Driver, visit the official website.
Leslie C. Halpern - Leslie C. Halpern, Romantic Films/Comedies Topic Editor, authored Passionate About Their Work, Reel Romance, & Dreams on Film.
Join the Conversation