Ryan Gosling and Cannes-winning director, Nicolas Winding Refn, take viewers on a thrilling roller-coaster ride as they go for the jugular in the moody action-drama, “Drive.” It’s fascinating to watch the baby-faced actor in shocking acts of violence with hardly any hint of remorse or apprehension. However, he executes them in a way that doesn’t feel gratuitous. It’s this element of unpredictability that sets his neo-noirish thriller apart from the rest of Hollywood’s vacuous action-movie noise.
The fact that Gosling’s lead character isn’t even given a name is itself unconventional: The actor plays an ace driver who moonlights as a movie stuntman. As mysterious as he is stoic, nothing fazes him—but, his veneer of impenetrability is broken when he meets his next-door neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan), and her young son, Benicio (Kaden Leos). The lonely, kindred spirits find comfort in each other’s company.
The Driver and Irene’s relationship could have taken a more predictable, romantic route had Irene been “unattached.” Unfortunately, she isn’t—she’s stuck in a seemingly loveless relationship with Standard (Oscar Isaac), an ex-con who can’t shake off his bad habits. When the conman’s nasty colleagues come knocking on his door and put Irene and Benicio’s lives at risk, the Driver agrees to help Irene’s hubby rob a pawnshop to pay off his debts. But, the heist goes awry!
With B-movie grit and relish, Refn presents his exposition devoid of narrative clutter. The characters’ motivations and back stories don’t figure much in the dialogue, but this is where Gosling and Mulligan’s thespic gifts are put to good use—despite the scarcity of words, they vivify their budding relationship in the way they relate to each other.
If you’re tired of films that spoon-feed every detail of their stories, or actors who “indicate” all their psychological actions and reactions, you’ll find this thriller refreshing. It’s instructive to see how Refn and his team utilize a storytelling tack that allows viewers to “rediscover” the expansive reach of their imagination. Sophisticated may not be a word usually associated with actioners—but, like George Clooney’s “The American,” “Drive” more than fits the bill.
It’s easy to imagine quirkier performers “overacting” in Gosling’s role, because the paucity of information about the Driver’s life leaves a lot of room for improvisation. Instructively, this is also where the production gets a little shaky: It’s hard to fully empathize with the Driver, because his past is too vague. Yes, his aura of mystery and danger makes him somewhat “iconic” but, at the same time, this “detaches” him from moviegoers, who are supposed to root for him.
Just the same, Gosling manages to enthrall even as he carries his character’s motivations lightly—albeit with stirring clarity—on his shoulders. In his able hands, the Driver “expands” as he reacts to what’s happening around him.
For her part, Mulligan isn’t required to do much, but her well-limned portrayal proves that an actor’s worth isn’t quantified by the number of scenes she’s in—or the lines she delivers.