Drive (2011)

A mysterious Hollywood stuntman and mechanic moonlights as a getaway driver and finds himself in trouble when he helps out his neighbor.

Director:

Nicolas Winding Refn

Writers:

Hossein Amini (screenplay), James Sallis (book)

Stars:

Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 79 wins & 179 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan Gosling	...	Driver
Carey Mulligan	...	Irene
Bryan Cranston	...	Shannon
Albert Brooks	...	Bernie Rose
Oscar Isaac	...	Standard
Christina Hendricks	...	Blanche
Ron Perlman	...	Nino
Kaden Leos	...	Benicio
Jeff Wolfe	...	Tan Suit
James Biberi	...	Cook
Russ Tamblyn	...	Doc
Joe Bucaro III	...	Chauffeur (as Joey Bucaro)
Tiara Parker	...	Young Woman
Tim Trella	...	Hitman #1
Jimmy Hart	...	Hitman #2

Storyline

This action drama follows a mysterious man who has multiple jobs as a garage mechanic, a Hollywood stuntman and a getaway driver seems to be trying to escape his shady past as he falls for his neighbor - whose husband is in prison and who's looking after her child alone. Meanwhile, his garage mechanic boss is trying to set up a race team using gangland money, which implicates our driver as he is to be used as the race team's main driver. Our hero gets more than he bargained for when he meets the man who is married to the woman he loves.

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Plot Keywords:

neo noir | nameless character | mythical hero | silent protagonist | very little dialogue | 

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Taglines:

There Are No Clean Getaways

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong brutal bloody violence, language and some nudity.

Did You Know?

Trivia

Locations were picked by Nicolas Winding Refn while Ryan Gosling drove him around the city at night. Refn chose Los Angeles as the shooting site due to budget concerns.

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Goofs

When Bernie Rose stabs the guy at Nino's Pizza in the neck multiple times and then turns to speak to Nino, the knife appears - for a second - and the blade is clean.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Driver: [on phone] There's a hundred-thousand streets in this city. You don't need to know the route. You give me a time and a place, I give you a five minute window. Anything happens in that five minutes and I'm yours. No matter what. Anything happens a minute either side of that and you're on your own. Do you understand?
[pause]
Driver: Good. And you won't be able to reach me on this phone again.

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Alternate Versions

The US theatrical version of the film featured less dialogue; the line referring to the toad and the scorpion was absent, as was Nino's line: "Go check out who this guy fucking is." The ambient track usage also varied, with some scenes containing altered tracks and or track timing, and in some cases different tracks entirely.

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Connections

Referenced in Drive (2020)

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Soundtracks

Under Your Spell
Written by Johnny Jewel
Performed by Desire
Courtesy of Italians Do It Better Records

User Reviews

Great use of Subtlety

It would be difficult to write about parts of the storyline in this film, because many expectations change when the consequences of one event folds upon another. A terrific original screenplay defies Hollywood conventions of over-the-top plot convolutions and unrealistic twists. Sure, there are a couple coincidences, but there are many rewards for keeping the story simplified and enhance the characters' arcs. The director borrows heavily from Michael Mann in painting a cool atmosphere with glistening city lights at night and a throbbing synthesiser soundtrack. The film elevates itself above any other similar film in it's drama, perhaps better than the character rich film "The Town" from 2010. The editing emphasises the main character's withdrawn persona, hiding his emotions (indirectly hinting at his criminal past) while romancing his neighbour. Moments in conversation where a 'normal' person would express their feelings or be more extroverted, are instead tension filled passages of silence that speak louder than words. With great use of subtlety, the film does wonders in terms of depicting the main character's withdrawn mental state, but still visualising his thoughts and intentions without direct exposition.

Another accolade must be given to actor Ryan Gosling in the lead role. We the audience must invest time into this character, which the film keeps in the first person narrative, most activities outside of his knowledge are outside of ours. He must show realistic reactions to danger, even though his past is never quite explained. The right emphasis is given to revealing moments of his capabilities, so when he is set in harm's way, we believe he can stand up to the test. The rest of the cast is well heeled in talent, allowing the sense of naturalism to provide the tone. As you may notice in critical reviews, when a film exposes no obvious weaknesses, the positive rating goes up. I myself am having a hard time exposing any weakness in this film, I felt I was in good hands, and was not annoyed by any plot contrivances. I happen to be a fan of Michael Mann, as must the director of this film, and the right homage elements work for me. I think of this perhaps of the antithesis of "Fast & Furious". One of the best films I have seen this year, could even get an Oscar nod with the screenplay or editing.

Details

Official Sites:

Le Pacte [France] Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

16 September 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Drive

Filming Locations:

Saugus Speedway - 22500 Soledad Canyon Road, Saugus, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,340,461, 18 September 2011

Gross USA:

$35,061,555

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$77,187,281

Company Credits

Production Co:

FilmDistrict, Bold Films, MWM Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1