10 reasons why ‘Drive’ is the coolest film you’ll see about a silent, brooding hero

How does a studio take a Hollywood-ready, potentially Fast-and-the-Furious script and upend all those traditional action movie tropes, dropping hints of major arthouse cred along the way? Easy! Hire a visionary Danish director with a cult following (as per Mr. Gosling’s request), and let him have a field day with atmospheric slo-mo gazes, jaw-droppingly gruesome (and unforeseen) violence, dangerous apartment romances, and a brooding hero/anti-hero dichotomy, which is only amplified by the syrupy ‘80s synths and ethereal coos of Toronto duo Electric Youth singing “you [Gosling] have proved to be / A real human being / And a real hero”. This Cannes winner for Best Director is so thrillingly stoic, its existential malaise so throbbing, that you forget it could have (say, if Michael Bay had directed it) been an entirely different film – perhaps Speed 3: Gosling and Gangsters?

The film that divided critics most in 2011 (and that left conservative Oscar folk clearly unimpressed) has just hit DVD shelves. Its detractors argue it’s empty, incoherent, pretentious, and all style, no substance. Too bad they chose to fault a film for its impressive storytelling and visual flair. Director Nicolas Winding Refn is not what you’d call as a subtle filmmaker, as he clearly gets off on throwing all kinds of cues at his captive audience: neon-pop music, flashy graphics, sweeping nighttime cityscapes, conspicuous attire, gory violence, nail-biting shots that linger and linger some more… But the neo-noir payoff is well worth it. Once you get past the minimal plot, and Gosling’s wistful, backstory-deprived loner of a character, you can hop in and mull over what compels someone to make certain choices in life, and how those choices inevitably bring people closer, while they drive others away. But before you ponder away, here are 10 more reasons why Drive is totally worth staying in tonight.

1. The spellbindingly sexy/ominous soundtrack
Riding along deserted L.A. highways at night over a medley of wailing electro-pop synths as a dreamy, French-accented woman whispers that “there’s something inside you / it’s hard to explain”… Right from the opening credit sequence, Refn makes L.A. highways into a strangely seductive pastime – and that’s no small feat.

Drive's opening credits

From Chromatics’ Tick of the Clock and Kavinsky feat. Lovefoxxx’s Nightcall to Desire’s Under Your Spell, the ’80s love story score compiled and composed by Cliff Martinez (Grey’s Anatomy, The Limey, Solaris) uses its languorous drum machine rhythms to amplify the story’s many…pulsating tensions.  

2. The vintage rides
Here’s a film that does justice to all the guys who’d consider themselves auto enthusiasts, and yet are not cut from the same cloth as the raucous herd that populates Crescent street come Grand Prix every summer. Gosling’s 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle is given substantial screen time, and a number of obstacles to overcome. Stunt racing? Bumper bashing? Police evasion? Been there, done that, says the Chevy.

3. Ryan Gosling’s laconic “Driver”
The magnetically minimalist Gosling character sure doesn’t say much, so you can imagine that when he does speak, he chooses his words carefully. “Driver” is a no-B.S. kind of brooder: he gets the job done, and has absolutely no interest in buttering people up, making friends or engaging in idle chit chat. The melancholy stuntman/getaway driver is quite a catch, but trust us, you don’t want to get on his (sociopathic?) bad side. 

Ryan Gosling and James Biberi in Drive
 

4. The ruthless good guys, the ruthless bad guys
If they were being graded, Refn’s characters would get an A for originality in their choice of weapons. Of course, all the unexpectedly gruesome acts of violence can be more than a tad off-putting, but they sure do crank up the fear factor, while exposing the questionable ethics of both good guys and meanies. Plus, Drive ranks up there with De Palma’s Scarface and the Coen brothers’ No Country for Old Men in downright eeriness.  

5. The night comes alive
Seldom does a film make nighttime as exciting, dangerous, and sexy as does Drive. Sweeping nocturnal vistas of the City of Angels, perilous car chases, fugitives teeming with sexual tension, wailing police sirens on the hunt for mysterious offenders… 

6. Chipping away at the gloss of L.A.
I’m a sucker for films that depict L.A. as a dystopian wasteland, because that’s how I’ve always felt about it. David Lynch has pointed out the danger and dread lurking beneath L.A.’s postcard-perfect facade (Mulholland Drive). So have Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) and Bret Easton Ellis (Less Than Zero). The damaged souls wasting away in the quintessence of sprawl, the (Sunset) boulevard of broken dreams, the people locked up behind the metal and glass of their cars, the irreproachable weather, the run-down strip malls and anonymous apartment complexes… it’s all there in Drive.

7. The fonts and title cards
How often do you even pay attention to these? That hot-pink cursive font sets the tone for the very sleek film that follows. It’s also an unabashed homage to ‘80s visual style – just look back to classic films of the decade like Dirty Dancing, Heathers, Pretty in Pink, and Sixteen Candles to get a load of their shameless use of pink and/or cursive title cards. A pre-Helvetica age indeed.

8. The golden scorpion racing jacket
Apparently inspired by Korean souvenir jackets from the ‘50s, Gosling proposed this satin stinger to the film's costume designers as a key character feature, to be worn in nearly every scene of the film. The symbolism conjured up – that he can be either lovely and protective or lethal, depending on how you treat him – proves to be one of Driver’s few defining character traits. Plus, it’s a pretty rad jacket. Look for it everywhere next Halloween…

9. The volatile pacing
Much of the film is spent in a state of suspended action, never knowing when a proverbial bomb is about to detonate. Characters are often cautious and carefully restrained – it feels like they’re waiting for someone’s cue to suddenly thrust themselves into action, usually to our complete bewilderment.

Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks in Drive

10. The shady supporting cast
The allure of danger, whether in vast, open spaces, roadside diners, dingy motels, or on secluded highways, is aptly conveyed by a slew of crooked supporting players, for whom double-dealing is a way of life. Filthy, cold-blooded mobster Bernie (Albert Brooks), his brutish business partner (Ron Perlman), bold gangster moll Blanche (Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks) and well-intentioned though misguided garage owner Shannon (Bryan Cranston) all meet their match somewhere down the road in Drive.

Drive | Now on DVD | drive-movie.com