Drive

Ratings: 7.9/10

Film Class: C

Genre: Drama Thriller

Meet this generation's very own Taxi Driver. It is only apt to compare this movie to Robert De Niro's classic 1976 movie, Taxi Driver. The way it was shot and the style reminded me of old school film noir. There's a hint of Taken in it, where the protagonist was cool and invincible-like.

Ryan Gosling acts as an expert driver with few words and emotions. He works as a Hollywood stunt driver, a garage helper and a contract getaway driver. The movie was shot entirely in grainy graphics, accompanied with jarring soundtrack and many freeze-frame shots. There's a weird feel to the movie at the start, during and after the movie - all of which were different. The start was cool, the middle was sweet, and the ending was disturbing.

The reason why I wanted to watch this show was because of a review that my gf had read on a local newspaper, The Newpaper. About how Ryan Gosling was super cool in it. Well, the poster did feature a cool-looking protagonist. I knew about this movie quite some time back since it was released in the US in June this year. However, whenever I see the poster, I would always think the main lead was Daniel Craig. Still, both actors are cool in their own right and it wouldn't have made a difference if either actor starred in it.

Not knowing what the movie had installed for me, I took that leap, hoping to watch something with more substance than just a senseless cool driving movie (like Fast and Furious, no offence to the franchise's fans). Well, it turned out to be too much "substance" for me. It wasn't a roller-coaster ride throughout, there were some parts of it with so much dialogue it kinda felt draggy at times. But then again, it could be because I watched it after a long day at work...

Though it had a typical and predictable storyline, the film style allowed me, and which I believe was intentional, to delve deeper into the characters' psyche. A few freeze-frame-like shots (almost a good 10 seconds just fixated on the characters/lead despite the absence of dialogue), the raw, grainy feel, and the close-up facial shots were all stylistic, and elegantly managed.

Be warned though, this is not your average Hollywood movie. It really messes with your emotions, there you thought you were watching something cool... then sweet... and then everything turned pretty gory. And because of the grainy feel, it felt more "realistic" than other movies even though there was an exaggerated bloodfest at the end.

I love and hate the irony at the end. *major spoilers ahead* The female lead was so "sheltered" and "blind" from everything Ryan Gosling did for her and the unreciprocated gratitude was just too "gek" for me.

Unlike Taxi Driver, there wasn't any cool lines that Ryan Gosling said for us to take home in movie history and there was a lack of consistency with his character. What I couldn't understand was how his character's habits changed through the movie, whether it was intentional or not, it didn't work. At first he was always with a toothpick in his mouth. Then he would always put his left hand in his white scorpion jacket. Where's the consistency in his mannerism? Shouldn't the director have made a conscious effort to ensure that Ryan Gosling still put a toothpick in his mouth even towards the end of the movie?

Anyways, the ending was slightly unpredictable for me. Perhaps I was to be blamed, for thinking like Ryan Gosling... that there just might be a way out of his predicament after all... that the mafia boss could be trusted after all. Even though Ryan Gosling brought a weapon with him at the end, he did hope not to use it.

That said, before I forget, I wanna give credit to Ron Pearlman and Carey Mulligan who lighted up this depressing movie. Ron Pearlman was the vulgar partner to the Mafia Boss, whilst Carey Mulligan was the eye candy in this dark film about a man with no purpose in life... until he met her. While I thought there was a lack in cool car action scenes (perhaps my expectations were built up even before the movie), this movie didn't disappoint me. It turned out to be a mid-paced movie with an ending to look forward to.

Even though I was greeted with a bad first impression - the opening credits was a little too lengthy, with gayish pinkish words flooding the screen and jarring music with disturbing vocals, but soon after that, everything turned out to be... more than a drive, it's a ride to remember.