Drive

I haven’t seen a better film in the cinema this year. A dreamy, sad artsy gangster flick with an extremely charismatic protagonist and a perfect soundtrack. It gave me goosebumps, and more than once. Drive is basically a compilation of Refn’s previous films (I’d dutifully watched them all before). It’s like Pusher shot with the same slick cinematography of Valhalla Rising, spiced up with a blend of the music and the images of Bronson, and mixed with the ambiguous atmosphere of Fear X. A film that can be easily described as “beautiful”, even if fingers are smashed with a hammer, heads are shot and throats are cut. For me, a masterpiece without any flaws, but, as it’s been said, it’s certainly not for everyone. I’ve been playing “A Real Hero” on repeat for an hour. (09/16/2011)

Drive reminded me of Collateral in its intimate, understated style. The story itself is deceptively simple, but for the entire 100 minutes, I was glued to the screen, barely moving, so I wouldn’t lose the film’s heavy, minimalist atmosphere. It wasn’t just the plot that did this—it was the way the whole film was crafted. The atmosphere, the visuals, and especially the music, were perfectly executed. The soundtrack, in particular, made some truly magical moments, like the opening credits, which, paired with the music, became one of the most striking I’ve seen in a long time. The movie had such a great flow, and Ryan Gosling really showed his range here. He gave a performance that solidified him as an actor I’ll always look forward to watching. (05/07/2012)

It’s hypnotic (almost everyone talked about the soundtrack after leaving the movie theater), clings to details (cinematography, sound), and constantly goes against established audience expectations. When I got up from my seat, sweat was pouring off me and it wasn't just the heat in the movie theater. (09/14/2011)

A stunning minimalist film, a unique experience for lovers of a blend of bearable art-modernism and uncompromising realistic rawness. I would devour everything about the main character, the music perfectly underscores it, and the action is uncompromising. Overall, a very meticulously styled film, whose creators have a knack for feeling and aesthetics and know exactly what and how to do it. (10/28/2011)

I don't know if it was my restless mood or just the movie being unnecessarily slow for me. Sometimes I even wondered if the picture was stuck. It has its charm and atmosphere though. It may be art in its own way, but it lacks excitement. Ryan Gosling has done better work, in my opinion. Of course, it's not his fault. Unfortunately, the script doesn't allow him to show his full glory. Unfortunately, I see it as just average... 3 stars. (03/22/2012)