‘Drive’ to theaters

"Drive" follows the everyday life of Driver, played by Ryan Gosling, as he works as a stunt driver, a mechanic and moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals with Bryan Cranston plays Shannon, his manager. 

In the movie, Driver becomes emotionally involved with his neighbor Irene, played by Cary Mulligan, and Shannon gets financially involved with two small time crooks, Bernie Rose and Nino, played by Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman respectively.  

Due to some bad luck, Driver gets stuck in a situation that rapidly spirals down and tests his calm demeanor.

"Drive" is a minimalist movie in many respects.  

There are long takes where it seems that not much is happening, the music is rather simple and the story is basic. All of these things are combined to make a slow, methodical film that does not drag and is far from boring.  

The chases, although very short, are masterfully crafted and reminiscent of other auto movies such as "Bullitt," where cars were cars and not computer generated models. 

The cinematographer organized shots so well that any frame of the movie could be printed out and hung as a photograph.

Unlike many movies, "Drive" makes every single action matter.  

Whenever a car crashes or a gun is shot, the moment is jarring and feels real.

For example, there is a scene where someone gets shot and everyone is expecting it. Yet, when it happens it is nearly impossible not to jump. 

There is no movie magic in this film that allows characters to be shot and walk away. Because of this, everyone in the movie seems vulnerable and close to death.

When it comes to the acting, there seems to be a slight sense of detachment in some of the characters. This works for the movie and I would argue that Gosling's reserved performance is a blank canvas for the audience to project their ideas onto his character. He can be perceived as a shy individual, but he can also be thought of as confident and calculating.  

The cast is filled with stars, yet none of them steal the show. They all give very good performances that fit the picture very well.

The director, Nicolas Winding Refn, is an artist who should be better known at this point in time. Other than "Drive," he has directed several great movies such as the fantastic crime trilogy "Pusher" and the shocking and stylistically interesting "Bronson."

Refn has great aesthetics and cinematography that make his movies distinctive.

I found the way in which "Drive" focuses on mastering the minimalist style to be really amazing.  

It is not the action packed movie that many may expect, but I think that is a good thing As opposed to having the constant cutting and action to keep the viewer's attention, it focuses on pulling the audience into the world in which Driver operates. 

I would definitely recommend seeing this movie.