Amazon Holiday

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Drive


Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A driver for stunts, robberies, and racing (Ryan Gosling) meets a girl he likes (Carey Mulligan), but her husband (Oscar Issac) gets him into trouble with the mob.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Ron Perlman, Christina Hendricks, Kaden Leos

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketProceed with Caution.Personally, I hated this movie despite its handful of interesting moments and artistic choices. I struggled to stay awake for the first half--a romantic drama-- and then struggled to justify how the tone of the second half--a gory, B-movie-style, mob thriller-- had anything to do with the first half. But I'm still going to recommend it to anyone who enjoyed No Country for Old Men, because clearly you people find characters who can kill in cold blood without thinking twice charming.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Mostly at the positive buzz it's been getting.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Mostly at the positive buzz it's been getting.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Probably. Which will be followed closely by me swearing at my TV.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Ryan Gosling is an extremely interesting and complex actor, even in the role of an empty vessel who hardly says anything and has no definable character traits besides the fact that he is a great driver, and has virtually no friends, family or confidants of any kind in his life. Without his performance, which brings just enough texture to confuse you into thinking that there might be something to this guy, this movie would be nothing more than B-level thriller looking for foreign DVD distribution at the AFM. (Definition AFM: American Film Market-- notorious place for selling action-thrillers with big stars to foreign markets because American companies weren't stupid enough to pick them up for distribution.)

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Bordering on pretentious, Nicolas Winding Refn, who is currently the hottest thing going in Hollywood, forces you at every turn to notice his directing work, with his constant use of reflections, shadows, and extreme angles. In fact, you will be thinking more about his work than about the story-- which may be a good thing for the story.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Never before has a screenwriter set us up so perfectly for a prequel. Hossein Amini gives us so little about the main character's backstory that you leave the film wondering where he came from, how he was raised, and basically what in his life makes him someone who can kill another human being so effortlessly and accurately on the drop of a dime. There are enough questions about who this talented murderer with a heart of gold is to fill an entire movie setting this one up. And the lack of dialogue, which is obviously supposed to be artistic, is completely unrealistic-- especially when it comes to the woman character.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: The blood looks like Karo syrup with red food coloring #3 in it. The kind used in amateur horror movies. Not the kind used in Ryan Gosling/Carey Mulligan films. Just embarrassing.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Drive Trailer

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4 comments:

ArtsBeatLA said...

Aw, I love movies with great car scenes... Like Bullitt, French Connection, Ronin and Faster.

Is Drive really that stupid?!

Monique said...

The car scenes are very good. If that's enough for you, you should go. I wasn't annoyed at first, but about half-way through I though it really jumped the shark, and then it just got worse and worse until the unsatisfactory ending...

But I heard lots of people around me saying that they enjoyed it as they left the theater-- so I imagine it's somewhat entertaining, but I wasn't fooled.

Grace said...

Same here, love movies with car scene... thrilling!

ArtsBeatLA said...

Finally saw it and loved it! Gonna post my review today.