Drive (2011)

Despite its excessive violence (Jack said it should be called "Stab") we found quite compelling this story of a loner who works as a getaway wheelman and gets involved with his pretty neighbor and some nasty criminals. Ryan Gosling's (after I wrote about him in Blue Valentine he was in All Good Things and Crazy, Stupid, Love.) character is known simply as Driver and he is powerful, as always, here as a mostly strong silent type, except when he isn't. Carey Mulligan (covered in An Education for which she was Oscar-nominated and Never Let Me Go) doesn't have loads to do but she's just fine as the neighbor. Most surprising is funny man Albert Brooks (born Albert Einstein, and the brother of "Super Dave" Osbourne, who was born Bob Einstein, Brooks wrote, directed, and starred in a handful of classics, including Lost in America (1985), Defending Your Life (1991), Mother (1996), and The Muse (1999), and was nominated for a Supporting Actor Oscar for Broadcast News (1987)) stone-faced and super scary as one of the nasty criminals. Strong supporting roles come from many, including Bryan Cranston and Christina Hendricks, whose roles couldn't be farther from their TV turns in Breaking Bad and Mad Men, respectively. Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn is new to me but not a newcomer and won Best Director at Cannes for this movie which was also nominated for the Palme d'Or.

Hossein Amini (Oscar nomination for the screenplay adaptation of the Henry James novel for Wings of the Dove (1997)) adapted James Sallis' novel (rated 3.5 stars on amazon) and kept it dark. I particularly liked the moody music by Cliff Martinez (here is a compilation, or Click Play all samples on the the amazon page). The picture cars and stunt driving are first rate, as are the seedy L.A. neighborhoods. Is it just me or does the poster, at first glance, look more like Daniel Craig than Ryan Gosling?

We saw this weeks ago, before some travels, and I took a New Yorker with me, wherein Anthony Lane gave away nearly everything about the movie. Do not read his review before you see it! But afterwards, you'll find it entertaining. If violence doesn't bother you much, or you're quick to block the screen (lately I've been using my elbow instead of my hand), do check out this noir thriller, still on big screens.