If you’ve given up on film being an art—which I know you have, even with the release of films like “Blue Valentine” (starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams) and “Hannah” (starring Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett)—you must see “Drive” starring Ryan Gosling again, Carey Mulligan and Albert Brooks. We’re not kidding. If you don’t see this, your friends will negate your whole view on film, and we all know how important peer approval is, right?
Okay… so… the litmus test when judging a film as being epic or not—“epic” as in “f*cking amazing rather than lengthy like “The Ten Commandments”): 1) bloody brilliant soundtrack; so good, that the music actually becomes a character in itself; 2) character development deriving from subtleness rather than unrealistic exclamations like, “This is who I am and this is why I’m here!” 3) A plot that, regardless of whether or not it is extraordinary, the film delivers it in such a way that you feel captivated by its unfolding.
We figure those are some pretty good standards. Now lets hit them one by one, shall we? The soundtrack. A soundtrack has not been this incredible since Chemical Brothers orchestrated the soundtrack for “Hannah.” A film is exceptional when it’s able to incorporate inanimate objects such as sound or landscape and give them life. The soundtrack has this surreal 80’s vibe, as does do the rolling of credits, that is so dead on with the feeling of each scene. The film doesn’t reach back into the 80’s and throw it in our faces to make a point. It makes the sounds resonate just as much today as they did when the music first ran rampant among kids wearing neon clothes and Zinka on their noses.
The direction, offered by relatively unknown director Nicolas Winding Refn, and the ability of his actors to respond was remarkable. Gosling especially gave his character (known only as “The Driver,” a choice we think was AWESOME) an undeniable authenticity. His performance was so consistently captivating, even when he did nothing more than stare at another person or an empty room.
The plot. (Oh my god, can’t believe we forgot the plot!). Gosling stars as a Hollywood stuntman who also moonlights as a getaway driver. He then hesitantly gets involved with his neighbor, a single mother whose husband returns from prison. Of course things get dirty and the mess must be cleaned up; hence the general thick of the story.
All in all, the film is an extraordinary testament to the lost art of filmmaking. If tickets these days are about twenty bucks a pop, not even including the necessary cola and over-buttered popcorn, “Drive” is DEFINITELY worth cracking your piggy bank open and hitting the movies.
Words by Ariel Maccarone
