Drive

Firstly I would like to thank Amazon for sending me my pre ordered copy of Drive two days before its official release date - not the first time they have done this.

Drive is my film of 2011 and quite possibly the coolest film I have ever seen. Its between this and Pulp Fiction for me in the cool stakes.

You know a film is going to be cool when the main character barely says a word and is nameless. Just think back to Clint Eastwood's turn as the unnamed cowboy in A Fistful of Dollars, For a few Dollars More and The Good the Bad and the Ugly.

Drive is the story of Ryan Gosling's character who is simply referred to as 'Driver' in the end credits. By day he is a mechanic and a stunt driver for Hollywood. By night he is a getaway driver for LA's criminal underworld. 

Drive opens with Gosling explaining the rules - 


"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."

The next ten minutes are some of the most edge-of-your-seat, heart pounding moments that have ever been committed to film as Gosling out manoeuvres and out wits the LAPD.

Then the 80's electro style soundtrack kicks in alongside the electric pink titles. This doesn't sound particularly cool but trust me, it is.

The film then follows the story of Gosling's relationship with his neighbour (Carrie Mulligan) and her young son and Drivers' attempts to help her ex convict husband with a job that goes horribly wrong. 

When I first saw the film I was wondering why it had been rated an 18 certificate. However when Driver is double crossed and has to fight to save himself and Mulligan it soon became apparent. The short bursts of violence from Driver make the combined efforts of all the Saw films looks childish in comparison. 

Driver is a fantastic film. It is uber cool, uber violent and Gosling is brilliant in the lead. 

10/10


Check out the trailer here . . .