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An early excerpt. As far as I'm concerned Refn is the modern inheritor of Walter Hill's power and gravitas (though this clearly owes a debt to Mann as well). He is ably matched by Gosling; a more perfect auteur-actor combo is hard to imagine. I hope their collaborative relationship lasts and develops. In all honesty I am looking forward to this as much as Tree of Life.

I've read the script. It's excellent (well, except for the trite love interest subplot). Also, that scene/clip is exactly as it reads on page.
Kudos to Refn/Gosling for managing to translate it this well but some credit where it's due, the script originated everything. You wouldn't believe how tense the driving scenes will get, this is barely a small taste.

I just watched the clip and I gotta say it looks good so far. Like the original poster mentioned it reminded me a little bit of Heat. It should be interesting to see what Gosling and Refn do for the Logan's Run remake..

I'm quite interested in that this is being told from the wheel man's perspective. Here's hoping it's more Vanishing Point and less Fast Five.

flyonthewall2983 wrote:I'm quite interested in that this is being told from the wheel man's perspective. Here's hoping it's more Vanishing Point and less Fast Five.

Vanishing Point is regarded as a classic, but the best driving I've seen is in the lesser-known Barry Newman classic, Fear is the Key. As a bonus, you get Suzy Kendall, and Gandhi with hair!

tajmahal wrote:

flyonthewall2983 wrote:I'm quite interested in that this is being told from the wheel man's perspective. Here's hoping it's more Vanishing Point and less Fast Five.

Vanishing Point is regarded as a classic, but the best driving I've seen is in the lesser-known Barry Newman classic, Fear is the Key. As a bonus, you get Suzy Kendall, and Gandhi with hair!

Seconded with vigour. I'd also put Race with the Devil right alongside it.

The source for Refn's Drive is James Sallis' surreal noir novel, the opening line of which is: “Much later, as he sat with his back against an inside wall of a Motel 6 just north of Phoenix, watching the pool of blood lap toward him, Driver would wonder whether he had made a terrible mistake.”

Sallis' Drive is a stripped down little masterpiece with that edge of poetry that only Sallis can bring to a book.

My only experience with Refn is Bronson and Valhalla...and I'm not sure how that phantasmagorical outlook would suit the source text. Sallis' story is a tad surreal, but not over the top surreal like Bronson and Valhalla. It'll be interesting to see what Refn brings to this.

Pusher I-III are all very straightforward crime stories, nothing surreal at all. I liked Bronson, but it was a little bit too much of a Kubrick homage to feel original.

Tribe wrote:My only experience with Refn is Bronson and Valhalla...and I'm not sure how that phantasmagorical outlook would suit the source text. Sallis' story is a tad surreal, but not over the top surreal like Bronson and Valhalla. It'll be interesting to see what Refn brings to this.

Well, as I say, Refn has certainly proven capable of handling the tensions of sedate surfaces in Fear X, though that also appeals to an often barely checked surrealism. I'm most interested in this new one as to how much the title is meant to suggest primal drives and impulses. Also, I get the impression that the film deals with a kind of conflict between an amoral, even sociopathic rationalism (as seen in the execution of precise mechanics) and an eventual descent into or acquiescence to primal brutality (if there is a conflict), how much of rationalism is an imposed, intellectual condition, the distinction between particular drives and their respective violences, etc. But then this sort of discussion probably belongs in the dedicated thread.

John Cope, I'm gonna have to go back and re-visit the novel. At the time I read it, it was simply a tightly plotted, hard boiled as nails, noir thriller...something of a James Sallis experiment at writing a thriller ala Dan Marlowe. When it comes to most noir authors, I tend to not look for the type of issues you touched on in your post. But when it comes to Sallis, one of the more philosophically inclined of the noir writers, you can't ignore the preoccupations you mention.

Good points. I'm gonna have to track Drive down again for a re-read.

John Cope wrote:An early excerpt. As far as I'm concerned Refn is the modern inheritor of Walter Hill's power and gravitas (though this clearly owes a debt to Mann as well). He is ably matched by Gosling; a more perfect auteur-actor combo is hard to imagine. I hope their collaborative relationship lasts and develops. In all honesty I am looking forward to this as much as Tree of Life.

damn...that had my heart in my throat in about 30 seconds. incredibly well done. can't wait to see this. any word on American distribution?

Was bored stupid by Bronson, Chopper meets Nick Love lad fest, glorified violence, hyper-active mise-en-scene, blah. May still check out Valhalla and Drive, however far from convinced that Refn is a serious director atm.

To hell with the Best Director award at Cannes, I'm sure Nothing's doubts are a real career disappointment

Well. In Nothing's defense, I also hated Bronson and didn't care for Valhalla Rising either. I'd be skeptical as well if it wasn't for the fact that, aside from really liking the script for Drive, I've just watched Pusher II and Pusher III and thought them rather good movies on their own terms.

It's one thing to dislike a director's films, but calling into question whether they're a "serious director," especially after they've just gotten a major award for a film you haven't seen? It's just so presumptuous and pithy.

Mfunk, I don't think Nothing wrote anything that was antagonistic or untoward. In fact, his description of Bronson isn't that far off. I mean, I enjoyed Bronson for what it was (I can dig "glorified violence")...but I recognize that there wasn't all that much there aside from flash.

I don't know why, but it just strikes me as such a bitter accusastion. Forget I said anything.

I too hated Bronson, but it doesn't deter my excitement for this. I'm especially curious about Albert Brooks, since he's not really well-known for dramatic roles.

I simply wasn't convinced by Refn on the evidence of Bronson, that's all. Perhaps Drive will persuade me otherwise - I hope so. I'll watch it for Gosling, who impressed in Blue Valentine. The prize doesn't really alter my expectations either way.

Nb. You might say I have a, uh, personal perspective on Bronson in that Mr. Hardy once sent a friend of mine to hospital in a random crack-addled assault (...)

Nothing wrote:Nb. You might say I have a, uh, personal perspective on Bronson in that Mr. Hardy once sent a friend of mine to hospital in a random crack-addled assault (...)

You can't just post that without telling us the story. That would be cruel.

There really is no story... Hardy and droogs randomly accosted said friend in the street whilst high on crack. This is some years ago, of course. Hardy's, er, colourful past is no secret, he was apparently quite notorious around East Sheen and Mortlake in the 1990s...

Looks awesome.

My god, that looks amazing