"The Kid" or the "Driver" (Ryan Gosling, All Good Things), as he is called throughout the movie, is a dichotomy - he seems like a sweet soul, almost innocent and naïve, yet he works as a stunt driver/garage mechanic for a living and does illegal wheelman jobs at night, following a strict code of ethics. Shannon (Bryan Cranston) is his mentor, employer/agent, father figure and friend, but Shannon hasn't made the best choices in life and he has some rough friends, like Bernie (Albert Brooks) and Nino (Ron Perlman), a pair of hardened criminal business partners.
Despite his odd choice of employment and loner status, he finds himself falling for his lovely and quiet neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan, Never Let Me Go) and being taken by her young son, Benicio. He bonds with them, only to have things abruptly shatter when her husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), gets out of prison. Standard finds himself jealous of Driver at first, but then confides in him when he is beaten up by thugs and Driver witnesses the event. It seems Standard owes some protection money and he is being forced to pull one last job or Irene and Benicio will be injured. Driver agrees to assist to make sure it gets done, but everything goes to hell. Soon, Driver realizes they were all set up and he is running for his life with a million dollars in tow. When the owner of the money comes calling and threatening Irene and Benicio's lives, Driver must make a stand, even if the consequences are deadly.
Ryan Gosling is an interesting actor. He is very talented and I have seen him in a number of movies, but he always seems to get these parts that make him out to be a sweet charmer who, in the end, turns out deadly. Drive is no exception. While violence is certainly standard in action flicks, I really didn't expect the level contained here, with exploding heads and faces being stomped in. This film is not for the weak of stomach, although it isn't continual throughout the movie, but what's there has punch. The acting is excellent whether it is Carey Mulligan playing the delicate and slightly damaged Irene, or Brooks and Perlman playing despicable and vile criminals - what's here is excellent. Christina Hendricks even appears in the small but pivotal role of Blanche, assistant during the heist. She looks so hardened and trashy that I didn't even recognize her.
As for special features, there are featurettes on the character of Driver, the background story, the relationship between Driver and Irene and finally, the stunts in the film. Lastly, there is a comprehensive interview with Director Nicolas Winding Refn. All are interesting to watch and give you a bit more insight into the film (although the interview with Refn is a bit dry), including how Carey Mulligan sought out the role of Irene and the script was altered to fit her. What I did find strange is that the various featurettes contained interviews with all of the major players except Gosling, sadly. As for the high def aspect of Blu-ray, the film is fairly dark, but there are some grand vistas during the car chases and these really pop, plus the soundtrack is fantastic and really works for the film.
Overall, the first 15 minutes is a rush, and just what I was hoping for, but then it morphs into a dark drama. It's a good film, just go into it knowing that it isn't a typical action flick and enjoy it for what it is.
