Resolutions 2015: Drive AND a Fond Series Farewell

Well, it may be the beginning of another week, but it is with great sadness that we must now face the end of another blog series—for now, anyway. I’m sure this will make a comeback in 2016. 😉 Anyway, after checking 2001: A Space Odyssey, Rear Window, and Moon off of my list, I decided to turn my attention to one I’ve been hearing great things about for a few years now—one that Eric and Zoë were just talking about here. Time to discuss Drive!

Drive (2011)

Synopsis: “A mysterious Hollywood stuntman, mechanic and getaway driver lands himself in trouble when he helps out his neighbor.” –www.imdb.com

What I liked:

• The style. I’ve seen it described as an “arthouse action film,” and that’s pretty much the best way to put it. It’s a weird combination, but it actually works really well and makes it stand out as something unique. Everything about it—the camera angles, the lighting, the soundtrack…it’s just really, really cool.
• The nearly constant tension. Right from the first few minutes, this film keeps you on edge. That first scene sets the mood pretty perfectly, and there are lots of great, tense moments after that. Plus, even when you’re tense and expecting something to happen, it’ll still take you by surprise—particularly some of the more violent moments.
• The supporting cast. I didn’t really know who all was in this movie, so imagine my surprise Bryan Cranston, Ron Perlman, and Albert Brooks all popped up! These guys are all pretty great—even if it was extremely weird hearing Marlin from Finding Nemo’s voice coming out a hardcore gangster’s mouth. Who knew Brooks could act so tough? I even liked Carey Mulligan in this, and she tends to bother me for some reason. I don’t know why…
• Ryan Gosling as the Driver. No name—just “Driver.” As a stunt driver/mechanic by day and a getaway driver for criminals by night, the character is not only really interesting but also played perfectly by Gosling. He’s a pretty mysterious guy—intense and violent, sweet and caring, clever and quick-thinking. The Driver is a fascinating character to follow.
• That elevator scene. I know that ties in pretty closely to the style, but it really is the standout moment of the film. Tension builds when Irene (Mulligan) and the Driver step into an elevator with a shady character, but all of the sudden everything just stops. The lights dim, music plays, and Irene and the Driver have a moment. Immediately after, something really, really horrible happens. If you haven’t seen it, I won’t spoil it, but you can watch that moment here.

What I didn’t like:

• Sometimes it feels like it’s trying too hard to be cool. Don’t get me wrong—I enjoyed it nonetheless, but part of me couldn’t help being like, “Hmm. Is this what a hipster action movie is like?” Just the music and the way the characters behaved…I don’t know. It mostly irked me in the beginning, but I got over it pretty quickly.
• There are times when the dialogue is just…awkward. Especially when there are scenes between the Driver and Irene. Or, really when anyone has a conversation with the Driver. He’s a man of few words, sure, but it’s sometimes that gets a little old. Again, it was the kind of thing that I got over, but it might not work for everyone.
• So. Much. Staring. Of course, that ties in with the dialogue a bit, too. And, once again, this is mostly when it comes to the Driver and Irene. Like, do people stare at each other without talking this much in real life?
• To me, the love story seems a little rushed. It’s cute and all, and they definitely have chemistry, but Irene and the Driver clearly fall for each other in…what, like, 20 minutes? Meh.
• It’s very violent, and some people might not like that. There are definitely a few cringeworthy deaths—moments I turned away from once or twice. It was manageable for me, but that might not be the case for everyone.

A Worthy Resolution? Totally! Drive was a really unique experience—an action flick, yes, but a kind of higher form of action flick. Something that felt as artistic and interesting as it was exciting. Great performances across the board, undeniable style, and an engaging story made this a pretty awesome resolution film to end on.

My Grade: A-

That’s a wrap! Thanks for tuning in, everybody! This has been another fun series made particularly awesome with help from all of the lovely people who took the time to participate. In case you missed some stuff, those people and their respective film resolutions were:

• Melissa of Snap Crackle Watch – O Brother, Where Art Thou?
• Eric of Isaacs Picture Conclusion – The African Queen
• Abbi of Where the Wild Things Are – Cinema Pardiso
• Steven of Past, Present, Future in TV and Film – Charlie Wilson’s War
• Rob of MovieRob – Requiem for a Dream and Touch of Evil
• Kim of Tranquil Dreams – Anna Karenina
• Anna of Film Grimoire – The Artist
• Niall of The Fluff Is Raging – The Beach
• Zoë of The Sporadic Chronicles of a Beginner Blogger – Hotel Transylvania
• Brian of Hard Ticket to Home Video – The Apartment
• Thomas of Video As Life – Kill Bill: Volume 1
• Luke of Oracle of Film – Robocop

You all are the GREATEST!!! Thank you so much for taking part in this. I’m lucky to be surrounded by such awesome, enthusiastic bloggers. 🙂

Anyway, over the next couple of weeks I’m going to be cheating a little. I’ll still be around, but in preparation for the Oscars (and to give myself a break), I thought it would be fun to reblog some of the reviews I’ve done of Oscar-nominated films. Plus, this will hopefully give me the chance to catch up on many of the blogs I’ve fallen so shamefully behind on. Sorry about that, guys. Let’s see if I can remedy that. So Oscar reblogs kick off tomorrow! See you then!