Drive - (September 16th, 2011): R
Distributor: FilmDistrict
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #3 with $11,340,461
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $23,122,285
Gross Revenue: $23,122,285
Production Budget: $15 million
Directors: Nicholas Winding Refn
Screened to a standing ovation at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, Drive was building an immense amount of buzz prior to its release, as many were expecting this festival sweetheart to wow mass audiences. Some would undoubtedly question if Ryan Gosling was merely treading on the type of character associated with Jason Statham, but the strong supporting cast was sure to quiet most skeptics. Devotees of AMC original programming would be thrilled to see Bryan Cranston and sexpot Christina Hendricks from their insanely popular respective series Breaking Bad and Mad Men, while veterans like Sons of Anarchy’s Ron Perlman and long-absent Albert Brooks would provide a draw as the mysterious villains. At the very least, I know that fans of Gosling’s work in the romantic and drama genres would be curious to see if he could appear competent when placed in the yet-unproven action genre as a stunt driver/wheelman who is not afraid to get his hands dirty. A definite fan of the cast, I believed that Drive would be worth seeing, but when early promotions raved about the film’s high quality, I knew that I could not miss this entry that was likely to continue the unusual trend of fantastic September releases.
Set in Los Angeles and adapted from the 2005 James Sallis novel of the same name, Drive follows an unnamed “Driver” (Ryan Gosling), a Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a talented wheelman who works anonymously and only gives his clients five minutes to conduct their business. The “Driver” also works at a local garage for Shannon (Bryan Cranston), a man with ties to organized crime who negotiates with two mobsters, Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) and Nino (Ron Perlman), to buy a NASCAR racer and have the “Driver” use his skills to dominate the circuit. When he is not working, the “Driver” also bonds with his neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan), and her young son Benicio (Kaden Leos), but when Benicio’s father, Standard (Oscar Isaac), returns from prison and reveals that he owes money to the mob and must pull a job, things begin to unravel. Seeking to protect Irene and Benicio, the “Driver” agrees to help Standard and his accomplice Blanche (Christina Hendricks) execute the heist, but things take a turn for the worst and the “Driver” finds himself in the middle of a nasty mob conflict that involves both Bernie and Nino. Now pushed into a deteriorating situation that threatens the safety of his surrogate family, the mysterious “Driver” takes matters into his own hands in as brutal and unwavering a way as possible.
From a character standpoint, the “Driver” is a little too stoic and mysterious for the audience to fully relate to, but his cool demeanor and violent tendencies, as brought together skillfully by Ryan Gosling, combine to provide considerable action. The opening sequence in which the “Driver” helps two burglars escape through the streets of L.A. and hide at the Staples Center is fantastic, while his later confrontations are so surprisingly brutal and gory that you cannot believe that Gosling was able to channel such an inner badass. The other standout performance belongs to Albert Brooks, who steps out of his comfort zone as the charismatic villain who would as soon pat you on the shoulder as slit your throat. The story that is ultimately told is also enhanced by very stylish direction and cinematography that highlight the conflict between the “Driver’s” violent lifestyle and his longing for peace, providing for a very unique movie-going experience. For as enjoyable as these positive elements remain, there were still a few inconsistencies that prevent Drive from being perfect.
The first and most evident criticism for Drive is its uneven pacing, which starts off energetic and strong but then slows to a snail’s pace with brief and irregular spurts of energy. As I said before, the opening sequence is amazing, but after that, things progress so slowly that it threatens to alienate audience attention as they wait for another truly engaging scene. When it comes to the other acting performances, I was disappointed by the apparent lack of chemistry between Gosling and Mulligan (who looks perpetually ready to cry), but the biggest crime involves the underuse of Christina Hendricks, whose appearance in the film amounts to little more than an elongated cameo. The final element that I found particularly annoying was the misplaced soundtrack, with touchy-feely pop and soft rock strangely accompanying some of the darker tones that were supposed to come across. Now, I understand that this indie-film was trying to say something deeper than what would ultimately come across in a straight-laced action flick, but I’m not convinced that this strong fusion of action and drama will click with mass audiences.
From a box office perspective, it looks like my instincts were dead-on, as Drive was only able to bring in just over $11 million in its first weekend, just enough for third place. Granted, going up against The Lion King is anything but ideal, but perhaps promotions were not strong enough to convince audiences that this festival favorite would be worth seeing. Thankfully, a modest budget of $15 million is not that difficult to recover when critics love a film, and to-date, Drive has already turned a profit. At the very least, this film proves that Ryan Gosling is more than capable of holding his own in the action genre, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in some grittier projects in the near-future. As long as you don’t walk into the theater expecting an unwavering thrill ride and prepare yourself for surprising violence, I guarantee that you will enjoy Drive.
Overall Recommendation: High
