Ryan Gosling’s unnamed protagonist is as enigmatic as Drive itself. Mixing genres between film noir, tragic hero and 1980s crime thriller, Drive certainly showcases a fair amount of style as it could have been directed by Miami Vice’s Michael Mann. When it endeavours to tell a story, it falls short because the film relies solely on the viewer taking it all in from afar rather than scrutinizing the brush strokes.
Undoubtedly, the film is unique as Gosling’s character, who works as a getaway driver, auto mechanic and stock car racer. He is elusive at first when he is introduced as the exacting yet expert driver for organized crime heists. When he meets a new neighbour played by Carey Mulligan and her young son, he begins opening up and considers changing his life. For all of his good intentions, he is beset by bad luck and ends up in deeper trouble than ever before. The driver agrees to abet one final heist for his neighbour’s ex-con husband, everything spirals out of control.
Overt symbolism clouds the film, from a white racing jacket which is covered in more and more blood as the story progresses to an odd love/fight scene that makes an elevator seem like a confessional. The driver quotes the fable of the scorpion and the frog in order to somehow justify his actions but the metaphor is completely inappropriate and comes across as cute instead of meaningful; perhaps this poor usage was meant to represent the film itself.
The cast is superb and creates several clearly defined and memorable characters (unfortunately they do not always act in a consistent or logical fashion). Albert Brooks plays a creepy and cold-hearted villain and Bryan Cranston is an indebted garage owner with great plans who can’t help himself. Christina Hendricks has a cameo as a seemingly disinterested stripper compelled to assist with a crime but she appears too briefly to make much of an impression.
Given the actors, the scenery and the soundtrack, it is more of a tragedy that Drive does not equal the sum of its part than what occurs on-screen. Nicholas Winding Refn had an idea in mind but it all seems clichéd: the overhead shots of Los Angeles traffic at night, the canted shots as crimes are discussed, excessive religious imagery, and the overwrought slow-motion scenes with a muted soundtrack. Film noir indulges the eyes with a vivid yet gritty visual style while pounding hearts with a thrilling and dramatic substance. The former is enough to kick off the film with promise but the rest of the film does not deliver enough of the latter. *½