Drive (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2011)

[MichaelB]

I'm enjoying these more than I enjoyed the film - which was OK, but I'm firmly in Zedz' camp.

[domino harvey]

[stroszeck]

Where can I buy one of those? I've decided to devote a whole wall to DRIVE movie poster art...even though I'm not a huge fan of the movie, I'm big on 80s fare like ELECTRIC DREAMS, JOHNNY HANDSOME, THE EXPLORERS, CAT PEOPLE and this throwback stuff is tickling my fancy in all sorts of ways!

[Murdoch]

Late to the party, but I liked this more than I thought I would. Refn's Mann-like contemplation of the action movie would have been a dull genre exercise, but the limited cutting and the way the camera crawls across locations, along with the gorgeous lighting, made this one beautiful film. I'm not keen on Gosling, though, as he never rises above the quiet pretty boy and the role asks for someone who can communicate through expression and glances better than he did. The ultra-violence was a little much at times, especially upon first occurrence, although if Refn was going for violence that disturbs rather than raises one's adrenaline level I think he accomplished it.

I think the film tries to avoid its stereotypical plot as best it can, both through the aesthetics and extended cuts, but the characters and the scenario have been played out ad nauseam in movies, TV, books that I think, despite Refn's best efforts, this only rises the level of a rather pretty genre pic. Not that I'm faulting the movie for that, as I enjoyed it and think it's well done, but given the buzz that had gathered around it I was hoping for something more. And, while the Mann comparisons are apt, I think Mann has a better grasp over his material since his archetypal characters rise to a level of recognizable humanity, whereas the characters in this film feel confined by their roles of pretty ingenue, criminal with a heart of gold, etc. with little expression that strays far from how we'd expect such characters to act. Brooks' mob boss is given a little freedom, and I think his monologue to the Driver at the end is well done, but he has too little screen time to make much of a mark.

[mfunk9786]

That's exactly why I was so puzzled by the awards season hype for Brooks - I thought there were at least two other supporting male performances (Cranston, Issac) that were as good, if not better, than Brooks'.

[domino harvey]

Because he's a comedian being serious (see the Jonah Hill nomination) PLUS a great talent who hadn't been recognized by the Academy. So it was pretty shocking when he wasn't nominated, but not because his performance did or did not merit a nom based on the actual performance or part. I guess the Academy thinks the Christopher Guest Gang is just much more rib-tickling than Brooks (though if memory serves, Brooks did a short film for the Oscars a few years back... hmm...)

[mfunk9786]

I think the Hill nomination had a bit more do to with the highwire act of some of that dialogue... Brooks had some decent scenes and a funny one-liner here and there... I think that might be what (aside from this film being off voters' radars for the most part) got Hill the nom over Brooks. Even if Hill were a newcomer I could see him getting nominated for that part.

[Tom Hagen]

[flyonthewall2983]

A real hero

[cinemartin]

Odd that being from London would cause a journalist to look the wrong way before crossing 6th Ave, which is a one way street.

[domino harvey]

It was implied in the article I read earlier that she was imbibing

[Tom Hagen]

Ryan Gosling Saved Me From a Speeding Car But There’s War In the Middle East So Everyone Calm Down.

Americans are very strange. They can and do hyperventilate about the most everyday happenings as if they are the most important thing in the world, and then they act completely normal when public conversations are had about war on Iran and war on women's bodies and when Rick Santorum is considered a serious presidential candidate. The real heroes I've met in America are risking everything to make sure that the United States doesn't slide further into bigotry, inequality and violence whilst everyone is distracted by the everyday doings of celebrities.

Jonathan Chait takes it from there.

[Brian C]

So wait, I'm confused. That column has a whole bunch of lines like this:

I am grateful to the dashing and meme-worthy Mr. Gosling, just as I am grateful to every other kind New Yorker who has saved me from oncoming traffic in recent weeks

Now clearly that's from one of those fake Onion op-eds, but Chait is treating it like it's real?

[Mr Sausage]

So wait, I'm confused. That column has a whole bunch of lines like this:

I am grateful to the dashing and meme-worthy Mr. Gosling, just as I am grateful to every other kind New Yorker who has saved me from oncoming traffic in recent weeks

Now clearly that's from one of those fake Onion op-eds, but Chait is treating it like it's real?

No, it's not an Onion style piece. The writer and would-be accident victim, Laurie Penny, is a British journalist.

[Tom Hagen]

I'm pretty sure it's real. Check out her earlier work.

[LipsMahoney]

I suppose I'm the only one who found ryan whatshisname's tough guy routine a total laugh? I thought I was watching high school drama technique college-trying for the real deal of a Mitchum or McQueen or Brando or Newman etc.

[starmanof51]

I suppose I'm the only one who found ryan whatshisname's tough guy routine a total laugh? I thought I was watching high school drama technique college-trying for the real deal of a Mitchum or McQueen or Brando or Newman etc.

Thanks for joining the forum! I guess it was a total laugh if it was enough to make you sign up. Though I'm wondering, what's a "high school drama technique college"?

[Zot!]

I believe "college-trying" was the verb and "high school drama technique" the noun. But I've actually not heard anyone complain about the lead, but I guess that's because he's really an exaggerated tough-guy superhero. So there is a lot more posing than acting involved. I thought he was fine.

[domino harvey]

I thought no one complained because everyone wants to kiss him

[colinr0380]

I think it is too easy to peg Gosling as the weak link, since, like Norah Jones in My Blueberry Nights (or Alan Ladd in Shane!), he is also playing the rather hollow, callow centre around which all of the more vibrant characters are revolving. It is also possible that he is playing a character who finds it incredibly difficult to form the most basic relationships, so has to do it using the car as a medium.

[mfunk9786]

I didn't think that ryan whatshisname's performance got enough praise for not overplaying the anger and fear bubbling under the surface. But it's starting to seem that I'm in the minority on this - when I saw an advance screening of the film back in August, I thought he'd get an Oscar nod.

[flyonthewall2983]

Sequel in the works

[mfunk9786]

Sequel in the works

Good lord, leave it alone

[flyonthewall2983]

I'm more interested in the book and it's sequel than a potential sequel to the movie.

[Anhedionisiac]

I found Driven to be extremely dissapointing, lacking a solid enough plot or story and having an overly precious writing style. It's more like Drive 1.5 instead of Drive 2.
For those who think they can just jump in this installment without having read the first one, it has very little connection to the film.