MOVIE REVIEW - Drive

You haven to hand it to Ryan Gosling. With the new movie Drive, a good decision has been made to not be the same character in every movie he makes.

And that is so smart. And so is Drive, with a slick script, a dark look, and an unapologetic story that may not be hugely compelling as is, but is packaged very nicely. This movie is not for everyone right up front. There is extreme violence with a bunch of blood. But it is very quick, tidy and concise, and most importantly, it is central to our story.

Drive is the story of "Driver" (Gosling). He is an angry, young man who is a part-time stunt driver in Hollywood. He also moonlights as a driver get-a-way man in high profile robberies, getting a cut of the loot. He then somehow gets tangled up in one of the worst possible robberies he could have. It involves the local, the East Coast Mob and a million dollars. Everyone around him starts getting killed. How can he survive this bad decision? This is dramatic and highly intense, and never really takes its foot off the heavy pedal. That's Drive.

Drive is very dark, and almost morose. It has a real music video feel to much of it. But when you add it all up it's pretty good. They invent (not develop) this enigmatic character Driver, that you really don't get to know. But that's part of the allure. You find yourself wanting to know more about him and you wonder if they will tell you more. He is a man of very few words, and little emotion. But you do end up pulling for him, even though is is terribly flawed, and really mentally unsteady.

Drive is richly filmed with great lighting, and wonderful camera angles throughout. A main car chase scene is well done, and much of the suspense is understated with a slow burn effect. Most effective. Gosling is good here, with what they asked of him. Getting away from the "dude" characters, and the heart throb mentality. And believe or not, even keeps his shirt on the whole movie.

I always like it when actors take on new roles for themselves. This is different for him. And even more bold roles are on the way for him, as he is on his way to becoming Hollywood's most popular leading man.

Drive. NOT for everyone. This will miss with some, and may disappoint some who are hoping for "hunky" Gosling. But overall this is pretty good.