Forrest Gump meets The Transporter in this low octane vehicle from director Nicolas Refn. I'm going to have to go against the other 93% on this one. I didn't like it. But it didn't start out that way.
After a well executed opening scene I was convinced that this movie was destined to go into my pantheon of personal favorites. Sadly, Drive stalled out shortly after the neon-hued opening credits rolled.
Ryan Gosling stars as an autistic (he was supposed to be autistic, right?), nameless mechanic and stunt/getaway driver. But what he lacks in basic social skills he makes up for in random flashes of violent badassery. However those brief instances are sprinkled in between the many painfully exaggerated staring and smiling contest he shares with (seemingly) single mom and love interest, Irene played by Carey Mulligan.
The driver forms an instant kinship with Irene's grade school son Benicio (I assume because the two are intellectual equals). But when Benicio's father, whom Irene neglects to mention she is still married to, is suddenly released from prison everyone's lives start to get complicated. In his attempt to help the recently released felon out of a debt the man acquired in the joint, the driver finds himself thrust into the middle of murderous conspiracy set up by a group of Jewish mobsters. If that isn't enough for you, Christina Hendricks of Mad Men fame makes a surprise cameo as a bus station skank!
Despite the action laden trailers and the over-hyped praise for its cinematic artistry, Drive gets tripped up on it's desire to be more than what it is. And sadly, our protagonist's legendary driving skills take the backseat to drawn out emotional glances. I understand what they were trying to do. I just don't think they succeeded. There was a lot of potential under the hood of Drive. It just looks like someone forgot to fill up the gas tank.
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