Working as a mechanic and stunt driver by day, Driver (Ryan Gosling) also has a side job as a getaway driver. Expert in helping various robbers flee the scene of their crimes, his services are much in demand. When his garage boss Shannon (Bryan Cranston) becomes involved with shady mobster Bernie (Albert Brooks), Driver’s skills are tested as he navigates the unforgiving and perilous waters of the criminal underworld.
Directed with low key intensity by Nicolas Winding Refn, Driver is an arresting tale of opportunism and deception. Audiences see a man proud of his professionalism but wanting a way out of his existence. As he allows himself to begin a relationship with his next door neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan), he sees a future free of those he considers mindless amateurs. One can see the genuine sense of frustration he feels as he is continually pulled into this seedy quagmire despite his best efforts.
With a strong script, direction and non-adherence to the usual action staples, Drive is a well-crafted movie. Add the fantastic acting from a strong cast led by Gosling’s quiet but determined anti-hero the story grips until its final denouncement. Cliff Martinez’s 80’s inspired soundtrack is a bonus as it highlights the steely anxiety of the character’s lives and the gritty harshness of the urban environment in which they live.
Drive is a great movie successfully conveying the dangers its characters face daily. Once again a movie proves you don’t have to have endless pyrotechnics to be exciting with the performers providing the atmospheric mood other thrillers try too hard to emulate.
Movie Review Rating out of 10: 8
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
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Patrick Moore's Movie Review is an alternative look at current movie releases in Australia.
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