Drive

Ryan Gosling Drives

            It’s nighttime in Los Angeles. The tall young man holding the telephone says, “I’ll give you five minutes, no more. Do you understand?”  We assume the answer is yes. Then he says,” You won’t be able to reach me after this.” The young man throws the phone on the bed and leaves.

            We next see him dropping two men off at what looks like a warehouse. He straps his watch onto the steering wheel while they break in. The time is 9:51pm. The tension mounts as only one man returns to the car. After some heart pounding seconds the other man shows up and the driver pulls off. The time is 9:54pm.

Because of the police scanner they realize the police are after them. The driver remains nonplused.  A squad car pins them and the chase is on.  Without overturning cars and speeds over 100 mph the chase is more exciting than the audience might expect. The driver is quiet, efficient and precise.

As the story unfolds we find this is not the driver’s only work. He is a stunt diver for movies and a mechanic. We know nothing else about him, not even his name.

The driver eventually helps his neighbor, a single mom awaiting her husband’s release from prison. His willingness to help seems fueled as much by her adorable son as his attraction to her.

When her husband is released he finds himself in a quandary that requires he break the law. The driver decides to help and violence and mayhem ensue.

Drive is graphically violent, sometimes comically so. There are no real winners in this film and the line between good guy/ bad guy is fuzzy. It is sometimes hard to watch but the acting is superb. Albert Brooks makes a surprisingly good villain and Ryan Gosling is fascinating to watch. Knowing in real life Gosling played a bit of a hero adds an extra attraction to the film.

This film is not for the weak heartened but if you can stand a little excitement and dark humor the opening scene is worth the price of admission