Shut Up and Drive!

Hello everyone, I’m TheCinemaChick and I try to make every introduction to my blogs special and unique…just like you.

Group hug.

Now that we have that out of our systems, let’s dive right into a movie that should be a lot more people’s “To See” list.  Yes, a lot of big budget films have just come out so most people are flocking to the theaters to see that.  Well, I’m here to tell you that you should buy tickets to see the Ryan Gosling silent blockbuster “Drive”.

For those of you who might be new to my blog, I call a “silent blockbuster” a film that does not get the attention it deserves but is brilliant.  In this case, I’d say Drive is headed for a long list of awards.  It’s refreshing, original and so well done that I can’t find many faults in it.

Drive stars Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan as the main characters, Driver and Irene.  While the movie does have a fairly decent romance worked in, it doesn’t detract from the overall plot.  It helps build momentum and explains why Driver does what he does at the end.

And in case you’re wondering, yes, Gosling’s character has no name.  He is called Driver in the credits, so that’s what I’m sticking to.

What I appreciate about Drive is that is a nice change from the high octane, adrenaline pumping explosion filled movies I’ve sat through all summer.  In fact, this movie takes its time getting into the plot.  Hell, the opening credits don’t even show up until about fifteen minutes in.  Immediately, you get the sense of who the Driver is and what he does.

I was drawn into his world and during the slow parts, I was still glued to the screen.  I wanted the romance with Irene to work even when her husband, Standard (again, I kid you not.  The character is named Standard) comes back form prison.  Driver does everything he can to help Standard pay off his debt and when the man is killed, Driver goes through hell to keep Irene and her son safe from the mafia.

The strange thing is, Drive almost appeared to be bordering on the amateur side of films for me.  There are a few scenes when the frame goes a tiny bit fuzzy or a scene that doesn’t seem to fit in at all, but in the grand scheme of things, it works out.  The plot is solid, the acting is damn near flawless but my favorite thing about this movie was that music.  It’s so incredible that I even consulted my dictionary to look up the word juxtaposition.  Sadly, that word doesn’t quite fit what I’m aiming for but it sounds smart so I’ll use it.

The sound editing for Drive blew me away.  There isn’t much music and most of the time you get background noise from the scene.  Like, if they’re near a street, you hear traffic.  The film did not disguise this fact.  When music did play, it was at appropriate times.  Not only that, but it fit the situation perfectly.  Butterfly actually went and bought the soundtrack after the movie.  So…I’m hoping he’ll make a CD of it for me since I’m cheap and broke.  Even in the credits the music seemed to fit.  Most of the time, some random song is tossed in there for the sake of…I’m not sure honestly, but if you’ve sat through credits before, you’ve probably wondered why a certain piece of music is being used.

Everything about Drive was beautiful, right down to the violence.  Normally, I can’t handle blood and things like that but in this film, I could tolerate most of it.  It was done so well that it comes out artistic.  The only scene I did not do well with comes near the end, when there are three people in an elevator.  As usual, I don’t believe in spoilers so I won’t tell you what happens.  I did have to cover my eyes for about three minutes.

Drive isn’t for little kids or those who love the Fast and Furious franchise.  While the latter films focus more on the cars and sexuality, Drive is purely about the plot.  Yes, there is car talk, a few car chases, but the film is not centered entirely on cars.  It’s about everyday people in relatable situations just trying to get by.

I rarely do this but I’d say pay full price to see Drive.  It’s just so powerful and visually stunning that I have trouble finding faults and things to hate about it.  My only caveat is the brutal and graphic violence at the end.  Lots of people get killed or badly hurt and it’s all displayed in front of you.

Well, I’m TheCinemaChick, ending a review on a positive note for once.