Monday, October 17, 2011
Ok. So this is the Drive post.
Even though it's been a month but I still remember the plot and most of the scenes clearly. It's a very well-acted art house crime film. So, if you are looking for hot girls, amazing car chase all around, bad ass muscle men, or epic processed graphics to entertain yourself, I don't recommend. It is pretty much realistic like how crime films usually are, very raw. But it's also artistic as in the way it's filmed. There aren't many dialogues going on between characters comparing to many crime films, especially few coming from the driver (Ryan Gosling). I can say that he spoke only for 10 min max in the whole movie. So, I would say it's different from what I usually enjoy in some great movies - gritty dialogue.
However, this lack of dialogue thing contributes significantly to the film's pacing. It's a rather slow film, especially its first half that provides emotional buildup for the second half. In the first half, there is very few dialogue. And whenever there is one, it's calm and peaceful. You always find yourself staring at the driver driving the same car at night. Sorta gives you the routine and normal life feel. I think it makes the film especially realistic for the time it spend on these things. Because when you are talking to someone else, or experiencing something new and exciting, it usually goes by really fast. But when it falls back to the daily routine - driving to work and home, you feel time goes by slower. And the first half the film spend a lot of time showing those moments in the driver's life. It grows deep down in you and allows you to fully emerge your brain into the reality of his life. It also shows a lot of moments when he's staring into space thinking. After he meets the girl (Carey Mulligan), there are more peaceful yet sometimes awkward moments he shares with her and her son.
The second half of the films feel faster because of all the events happening one following another, almost spontaneously. And the emotions and anticipations that lead to this from the first half works perfectly. Even though there is few dialogues between the driver and the girl (gosh I forgot her name), the facial interactions and how much he cares for her son are perfect. It shows that he is a man of action. All the killings in the second half (is this a spoiler? I guess a crime film needs to have a lot of killings anyway...) are portrayed very raw as well. They are not glorified or hid graphically from the audience. They are truthful. Even though you pretty much anticipate them, they still get to you every time. I love the ending as well. Reminds me of a certain other movie...(lol try not to be spoiling here...)
Overall I thought it was fantastic. Some of its moments are certainly memorable. I can't really think of anything similar to it! I recommend it to all movie lovers. But when I say "movie lovers", I mean like, true movie lovers. Not the just seeing the big budgets hits & fails kind.
Alright is that good enough? I did not proofread so...it may sound funny at times.
Labels: movies and TV shows
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