Drive

Drive Dives Deep into Deviant Darkness
Drive, R, ****1/2, Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Isaac, Kaden Leos, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman. Film District movie. Director Nicolas Winding Refn. Length: 100 minutes.

The film opens before the credits begin. As the person known only as Driver (Ryan Gosling) begins his second of three jobs, he is in the process of using his skills to transport two thieves to safety. He does not carry a gun, we only know him as driver, and he gives thieves a five minute window to complete their robbery, or he will leave them behind.
As a getaway driver, he is cool, calm, and quiet. He just simple does his job without revealing anything about himself. The music tracks with the plot as the audience witnesses some fancy dangerous driving. For some reason he likes to keep a toothpick in his mouth. This is an unusual touch that seems to fit his character. The driver is smart and skillful behind the wheel. Listening to a scanner, he follows the police dispatch in order to know what route he should take after a robbery. Listening to a ballgame at the same time the scanner is bringing him up-to-date about the location of the police, Driver is excellent at multitasking.
The film will remind the audience of the old movies “Thunder Road” with Robert Mitchum, and “Bullitt” with Steve McQueen. All three films have fancy driving along with keeping a step ahead of the police or others that might be trying to catch the person behind the wheel.
The anti-hero in this film is a criminal, but he is likable. He works as a mechanic for Shannon (Bryan Cranston), and he is a stunt driver for Hollywood movies. Shannon helped Driver by giving him a job and teaching him more about cars.
This extraordinary film has a European director and the style of Independent movies. It does not waste the audience time with getting on with the story. Driver will keep the audience on the edge of the theater seat from the beginning till the very end.
It is extremely violent with a dark plot and an original story. Giving the audience a look into the horrors of living a life of crime and violent behavior, the viewer will take a ride into the dark side of criminal life.
Our anti-hero meets Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son Benecio (Kaden Leos). Driver really makes a connection with Irene and Benecio. However, it is not long until her husband Standard (Oscar Isaac) shows up fresh out of prison. This is the point everything becomes complicated.
Bernie (Albert Brooks) is a crime boss. He delivers a great dramatic performance leaving comedy out of the picture. Nino (Ron Perlman) is another criminal with a bad attitude.
The characters interconnect with dangerous and violent consequences. Driver has a soft heart for doing the right thing, but his ability to protect those he likes can be extremely deadly. One scene in an elevator is gruesome. This scene demonstrates to the audience just how violent Driver can be.
This film has plenty of realistic action, and extremely violent scenes along with great acting by Gosling, Brooks, and the entire cast. The theme is harsh with strong sadistic brutality. It is based on the book Drive by James Sallis.
The readers may know the story about the scorpion and the frog. Driver wears a jacket with a scorpion on the back. This is a metaphoric statement relating to the film.
There may be good in just about everybody. A quote toward the end of the film says a lot –“Real honor and a real hero.”
Again, this film is extremely violent with some nudity and strong language.