Have you ever heard the story of the scorpion and the frog? Ryan Gosling’s performance in Drive is a sight to behold and an underrated visual master-class in how to create and portray a complex and flawed character defined paradoxically by both simmering rage and zen-like calm. A stunt car samurai with an unimpeachable code and unshakable will, Gosling’s “Driver” - we never learn his actual name - is the type of friend who will help you move…and help you get rid of the body. Gosling takes the reluctant-hero-with-a-shady-past trope and turns it into something haunting and beautiful. Driver conveys more with a look or gesture than us mere mortals do in a proper monologue. The meticulously shot film is fairly short on action relative to what the trailer and title might indicate, partially explaining its polarizing nature, but a killer soundtrack and intentionally against-type performances by Gosling, Albert Brooks (a comedic actor portraying an aging but still dangerous mob boss) and Bryan Cranston elevate the film to its near mythic status among fans. Every frame is a marvel of cinematography. The visceral depictions of violence will leave you gobsmacked in how they are executed from outta nowhere, apologies to Randy Orton. I can't think of many performances in cinema history more un-apologetically masculine and chilling than Gosling wielding a hammer and bullet to the skull of the bad guy. Gosling deserves more praise for the singular performance.
Drive gets a 8/10 for general audiences and a 10/10 for those who can appreciate a slow burn thriller and a lead performance that stands out as one of the best in modern cinema.
The Quick Critic
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