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Drive (2011) (91%)
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Writer: Hossein Amini
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston
Production Company: FilmDistrict
Drive is one of those films that I feel like I'm going to give a higher rating to than most people. Everything worked for me: the story, the tight runtime, the main character, the cinematography, and the soundtrack. I can't really think of anything that disappointed me about this film. I went into it not knowing anything about it (apart from that my roommate liked it and said it has one of the best film soundtracks in recent years), and when I finished it I was already looking forward to the next time that I'll watch it.
Honestly, I expected this film to be in the same vein of Baby Driver. A film about a getaway driver that has quite a few fun scenes, a decent amount of action, and some serious moments to drive the story forward. I...I was quite wrong in expecting that. This isn't a "fun" film. This isn't a story about him just doing jobs in exchange for cash while listening to some sweet music. This is a serious movie that is mostly character driven. Ryan Gosling is fantastic as the stoic, badass Driver, and everyone else in the film kills it in their roles as well.
One reason why I think this film really worked for me is how tight the story is. There aren't really any dead or pointless scenes. Everything has a purpose, and there are some scenes in this film that have an incredible amount of tension. I also really liked the cinematography and overall look of it, all the way down to the long takes that the director used at some points.
On top of all of that, the soundtrack is incredible. It fits the film perfectly and is also a good listen on its own.
I can see why not everyone would love, or even like this film, but it all just worked for me.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Writer: Hossein Amini
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston
Production Company: FilmDistrict
Drive is one of those films that I feel like I'm going to give a higher rating to than most people. Everything worked for me: the story, the tight runtime, the main character, the cinematography, and the soundtrack. I can't really think of anything that disappointed me about this film. I went into it not knowing anything about it (apart from that my roommate liked it and said it has one of the best film soundtracks in recent years), and when I finished it I was already looking forward to the next time that I'll watch it.
Honestly, I expected this film to be in the same vein of Baby Driver. A film about a getaway driver that has quite a few fun scenes, a decent amount of action, and some serious moments to drive the story forward. I...I was quite wrong in expecting that. This isn't a "fun" film. This isn't a story about him just doing jobs in exchange for cash while listening to some sweet music. This is a serious movie that is mostly character driven. Ryan Gosling is fantastic as the stoic, badass Driver, and everyone else in the film kills it in their roles as well.
One reason why I think this film really worked for me is how tight the story is. There aren't really any dead or pointless scenes. Everything has a purpose, and there are some scenes in this film that have an incredible amount of tension. I also really liked the cinematography and overall look of it, all the way down to the long takes that the director used at some points.
On top of all of that, the soundtrack is incredible. It fits the film perfectly and is also a good listen on its own.
I can see why not everyone would love, or even like this film, but it all just worked for me.