Special effects, graphics heavy opening and ending credits, synthesized explosions, haunting background music – these are elements of a regular thriller movie, at times considered cliché by some critics …all of which are not present in Director Nicolas Wending Refn’s Drive.
Drive is about a Hollywood stunt performer who sidelines as a getaway driver. The unnamed lead played by Ryan Gosling who was usually referred to as “the driver”, “the kid” and “him” falls in love with his beautiful neighbor Irene (Carey , Mulligan), a young mother dragged into a dangerous underworld by the return of her ex-convict husband Standard (Oscar Isaac).
This film is a breath of fresh air after the moviegoing public were repeatedly bombarded by graphics heavy but thoughtless thrillers. In other words, it defied all the staples of a thriller film. From the 80’s feel and soundtrack to the pink-colored title in Monotype Corsiva, you’ll know that you are in for a unique movie experience.
The high powered chases lacked the equally high powered soundtrack. But surprisingly, the gripping silence while waiting if the cops will catch them, sound of the cars screeching is enough to keep you at the edge of your seat.

There are remnants of Quentin Tarantino and Michael Mann’s Collateral apart from others.There was a mix of different inspirations in Nicolas Wending Refn’s work. He made good use of songs that doesn’t seem appropriate for the scene but miraculously worked. Drive made use of the beauty of silence and reading between the lines – from Gosling and Mulligan’s flirtations to the gripping silence while waiting for Standard (Oscar Isaac) to get into the car after robbing a bank, it ultimately worked for the movie...and then some - there are times when the “staring matches” is unnecessary at times that I can’t help but exclaim “now what” while waiting for the punch line.

I love how one character’s piece of clothing becomes an entirely new character as it embodies the actor’s state of mind. And the cars, who will forget about the cars Gosling smoothly used – from the Chevy, to the other cars my girly mind is not aware of (and is not that interested to know more of).
My only wish is that the holes in the story were answered. There are unpolished scenes that made me wonder how the character went from here to there. But I can forgive these little flaws after Ryan Gosling gave his best performance to date. He is the only actor I know who effectively showed variations of loving, frightened, anxious, furious stares. His character do not have a back story, but his portrayal exemplified profound meaning and depth.

Overall, the movie works best for the filmgoer who would like to watch something that would channel their brain cells, test their analytical skills or simply wants to watch something extraordinary. Not for the filmgoer who wants a light-hearted, fun film and gets easily bored by lengthy sequences.
"Drive" opens on Nov 9 exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas -- Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma.

A Press Release - One of the most talented young actresses working today, Oscar Best Actress nominee Carey Mulligan (“Never Let Me Go,” “Money Never Sleeps”) stars opposite Ryan Gosling in FilmDistrict's critically acclaimed thriller “Drive.” Winner of the Best Director prize in this year’s Cannes Film Festival, “Drive” will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 & Trinoma) starting Nov. 9.

The film is directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and adapted from James Sallis's 2005 novel of the same name. In the film, Driver (Gosling) is a Los Angeles wheelman for hire, stunt driving for movie productions by day and steering getaway vehicles for armed heists by night. Though a loner by nature, Driver can't help falling in love with his beautiful neighbor Irene (Mulligan), a vulnerable young mother dragged into a dangerous underworld by the return of her ex-convict husband Standard (Oscar Isaac).

 Mulligan had been a fan of Refn’s past films “Bronson” and “Valhalla Rising” and had even mentioned to her agent that she wanted to work with a director like Refn, but it was only after she expressed interest in the script that she learned who was helming “Drive.” The actrees’ enthusiasm was matched by Refn's, who immediately ordered small rewrites of Irene's backstory so he could cast Mulligan. In the novel, ‘Irene’ is a Latina. Director Refn confirms, “Originally I was looking for a Latina actress. I hadn’t seen Carey’s films, but the minute she walked in the door, I knew we had our ‘Irene.’ It just cemented the love story in a much more interesting way. It made it more of a ‘Romeo & Juliet‘ kind of love story without the politics that would in this day and age be brought into it if you had different nationalities or different religions.”

Mulligan explains her interest in the part: “Irene's character was a challenge because she's really the pivot point for the film's secondary plot, which is literally about the love triangle between her, Driver and Irene’s husband Standard but dramatically is about where they'll all end up in the most meaningful sense. And it's not an easy decision for her. Driver certainly seems like Irene's knight in shining armor, but Standard is drawn very sympathetically, as someone who's made mistakes but is genuinely trying to turn his life around. Plus she's loved him since she was 17. So to be able to play those two impulses off of one another, especially after Standard and Driver form an uneasy alliance, gave me so much to work with.” Says Refn: “Since I was a teenager, I've been a big fan of `Sixteen Candles.’ I've always wanted to remake that film one way or another and, in a very unlikely way, I've done that with `Drive.’ Carey has all the intelligence and charm of a young Molly Ringwald. The romantic scenes she has with Ryan make for a very delicate and beautiful contrast to the brutality in the rest of the film.”