Drive is Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn’s first film set in the U.S., and it is certainly his best. Following on from the drug-fuelled Pusher trilogy and 2008’s Bronson, Drive sees Refn handle what is essentially a very simple plot structure with effortless pace and style. The result? The coolest film of the year.
Ryan Gosling stars as ‘Driver,’ an L.A.-based movie stunt-driver/mechanic by day, and a getaway driver by night. His pensive performance has led to his character being labelled ‘The Man with No Name’ of the 21st century, evoking the likes of Clint Eastwood and Steve McQueen. Gosling brings a brooding power to the character, conveying emotion with every intense stare, every clench of the fist.
The professionalism and icy coolness of Driver is introduced immediately; the opening scene sees him lay down his rules in a speech we soon learn he is used to reciting:
“If I drive for you, you give me a time and a place, I give you a five-minute window. Anything happens in that five minutes and I’m yours, no matter what. I don’t sit in while you’re running it down. I don’t carry a gun… I drive.”
Driver isn’t there to cause destruction and mayhem; he is there to pick you up and drive you away quickly but quietly, without being noticed. If he has to act, he will, but otherwise he stays where he is.
After an exciting opening chase, Driver returns to his lonely apartment and befriends his next door neighbour, Irene (Carey Mulligan), who lives with her young son. After her husband (Oscar Isaac) is released from jail, Driver learns that the ex-con is being sought for money by the criminals that protected him on the inside, who are now also threatening Irene and her son. Driver offers to act as the getaway driver for a heist, but – naturally – it all goes wrong, and he wants revenge.
Originally conceived as a blockbuster, Refn’s art-house direction ensures that Drive largely defies the audience’s expectations for a film that seems based around driving and vengeance. There aren’t many car chases; they only occur when they fit in with the plot. Similarly, violence is rare, but extreme, so every outburst has the maximum impact: gunshots are wincingly loud, and the already notorious ‘elevator’ scene has led to criticism and shock (although it has nothing on the fire-extinguisher scene from Gasper Noé’s Irréversible, which served as Refn’s inspiration here). But it never seems over the top; each incident only serves to remind us of the gritty danger surrounding Driver’s world. He never acts unless he has to.
Drive has been called a masterpiece of style over substance, but this condescending analysis seems unfair. True, it is a gorgeous, stylistic film, perfectly capturing the seedy, dangerous world it sets out to create, but the film’s greatest triumph lies in its characters; an extremely impressive feat considering how little the characters speak, particularly our shy anti-hero. Driver’s relationship to Irene is one of largely unspoken affection, captured in every lengthy stare and subtle smile. Similarly, Driver’s rage is perfectly captured in the sound of a tightening leather glove. Refn displays the subtleties of emotion like no other, and the combination of excellent performances, beautiful visuals and shocking violence ensures that Drive will be remembered as a masterpiece of both style and substance.