Drive

[Boner M]

Strangely enough, though Sofia Coppola isn't the first name that comes to mind as far as stylistic similarities go, I've been persuading those who were put off by the trailers/ads to see it by comparing it to Lost in Translation.

[MadMan]

Izzy! <3An Israfel The Black sighting is both rare and welcomed.

Having not seen a Sofia Coppola movie, I cannot say if any of her movies perhaps inspired Drive in some way. I'll also admit that even though I've viewed a couple of Michael Mann movies, I have not seen Thief, which Drive has also been compared to as well.

[number8]

Response:


Metro caught up with film producer Graham King, co-founder of FilmDistrict, to get his thoughts on the lawsuit. “That’s amazing, right? You cut trailers and TV spots to get people in the theater. It’s called marketing, you know?” he says. “If she wins that lawsuit, we’re all in trouble.”

But King isn’t too worried about that happening. As a producer for the likes of Martin Scorsese, Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Ben Affleck and Leonardo DiCaprio, he’s grown accustomed to attention of the litigious sort. “I can’t tell you the amount of lawsuits we’ve had from people. There’s nothing you can say about it, you just have to go through it and put your legal on it,” he says.

“There’s always crazy people coming at you. I had a woman who claimed she was Howard Hughes’ girlfriend — she was about 85 years old when she called me,” King remembers. “And my lawyer’s calling me while I’m on the set shooting [‘the Aviator’] with Marty and Leo and asked, ‘What do you want me to do?’ You deal with it. Especially when you make biopics, you’re always going to find someone coming out of the woodwork somewhere.”

[Izzy Black]

Strangely enough, though Sofia Coppola isn't the first name that comes to mind as far as stylistic similarities go, I've been persuading those who were put off by the trailers/ads to see it by comparing it to Lost in Translation.

What is the first to come to mind, if I might ask?

But I share you sentiment about Coppola. As I say over at RT, for Coppola, each banal moment in a seemingly uneventful day is styled in such a way as to carry the entire weight of existence. Indeed, it reminds me of the line from The Hours, "A woman's whole life, in a single day." But here, of course (as in Coppola), the reduction in capturing existence is down to the very moment. These moments are moments of transition (or "in transition") rather than moments of dramatic action or consequence (in particular, the driver's car ride with the girl and her son, their undramatic pervasive non-verbal exchanges, etc). Very often we see a similar effect of lingering on (and idealizing) 'transitory' moments in Coppola. Her method is often through creating an atmosphere of blissful ambiance with lush sensual palettes of color and visual texture. This brings to mind Wong Kar Wai, who as I've argued in the past, maintains an aesthetic that is often preoccupied with 'the moment,' especially those moments in transition and passing, but by emphasizing these moments through moods of longing by way of self-reflexive framing and melancholic audio-visual expressions.

But Mann comes into the picture because this is - afterall- an action film. How can the above two filmmakers be the best precedent or comparative examples of the film's main style if it is to be an action film? In truth, it's a mixture of that kind of aesthetic and Mann's aesthetic. The action sequences along with the general mood and pacing of the film strike me as very Mannian. Thematically, there's a connection, to boot. We get a keen interest in the steely professionalism and perfectionism required of the driver's vocation. This is done by similar cinematic means as Mann with the ambient music, washes of nightly grays, blues, and black hues, and through a notable use of open space and distinctive sounds. The muted soundtrack, for example, allows for a greater attention to the real sound of objects (Celtics/Clippers game on the radio, car engine, changing of gears, etc), and the ambient score consequently mellows dramatic emotional affects (i.e., overwhelming excitement, anxiety, or fear) so as to capture the overall sense of tense calm, anticipation, and focus fitting of a master at work that we get. But in Mann, the emphasis on professionalism is a microcosmic symptom of a underlying anxiety that simultaneously drives and tragically destroys his characters: an obsession with the work itself, smothered and consumed by a modern culture of competitive work-a-holics, individuals (often criminals) whose ends can only be attained by extreme means. While we ponder and question the value, origin, and meaning of such ends for characters in a Mann film, we will want to ask what role this stylistic-thematic function plays in Driver.

I will argue (in another response where I address the review) that it has to do with its status as a neo-noir film and its reaction to that genre. After all, there is a single protagonist in this film - a true hero. In Mann, there are no 'real' heroes, only equal players, and in many ways, they are all usually victims of their own antagonism (even in Collateral, Foxx's character emerges as an underdog moral hero only in a qualified, noirish sense, as he ultimately feels helpless and almost defeated in observing Cruise's seemingly inescapable fate).

More to come later. Writing a work-related paper, so my overall thoughts will sadly have to come in segments. But hey, at least it's helping me sort them out!

[Izzy Black]

An Israfel The Black sighting is both rare and welcomed.

Thank you for the kind words!


Having not seen a Sofia Coppola movie, I cannot say if any of her movies perhaps inspired Drive in some way. I'll also admit that even though I've viewed a couple of Michael Mann movies, I have not seen Thief, which Drive has also been compared to as well.

I don't have any evidence that Driver was inspired by Coppola directly. I think it belongs to a certain aesthetic category that I would group with Coppola, however. There may be some direct influence. Especially when considering the New Wave soundtrack and retro stylings, but I can't say for sure. In any case, I think the comparison is useful for illustrating their respective artistic strategies, regardless of the existence of any real influence.

[MadMan]

Thank you for the kind words!Well the site could use you around more often, man.


I don't have any evidence that Driver was inspired by Coppola directly. I think it belongs to a certain aesthetic category that I would group with Coppola, however. There may be some direct influence, however. Especially when considering the New Wave soundtrack and retro stylings, but I can't sure for sure. In any case, I think the comparison is useful for illustrating their respective artistic strategies, regardless of any real influence.I wish I had seen a Coppola film so I could comment. However, I can say that based upon what I've seen from Soffia's movies in terms of the previews, and the fact that I have heard she uses a lot of New Wave music (Marie Antonette's soundtrack is fairly 80s pop heavy, from what I saw when I looked it up online) I can see the comparisons. I really should try and watch The Driver from Water Hill sometime-from what I've read either on here or elsewhere Drive reminded some folks of Hill's 70s movie. In the end though I think Drive is really largely an 80s style movie.

[Izzy Black]

Well the site could use you around more often, man.

I would love to post more. I stay busy and I only see or make it to the movies that I really would like to see, but I miss intense film culture altogether, and you guys in particular, so I definitely plan to be posting more.



I wish I had seen a Coppola film so I could comment. However, I can say that based upon what I've seen from Soffia's movies in terms of the previews, and the fact that I have heard she uses a lot of New Wave music (Marie Antonette's soundtrack is fairly 80s pop heavy, from what I saw when I looked it up online) I can see the comparisons. I really should try and watch The Driver from Water Hill sometime-from what I've read either on here or elsewhere Drive reminded some folks of Hill's 70s movie. In the end though I think Drive is really largely an 80s style movie.

You should really see Coppola! But yes, I see a lot of Marie Antoniette and Lost In Translation in Driver. But on the other hand, I think Driver is an 80s style movie only minimally. I think the significance of the historical references are a bit overstated in the reviews. I think the intention is to invoke a kind of genre and sense of time, but that it invokes the 80s isn't the same thing as saying it's fashioned in an 80s style. It's style is (to me) explicitly contemporary and modern, since the style is functionally distinct from films of past, and that this elements of retro-styling are currently what's in fashion.

[Qrazy]

I read the review. I don't consider it an 'epic pan', but it's a very informed opinion, even if not a well-argued piece. Counts for something, so I'll make a fuller response shortly. I can say right off that where it goes wrong is with its initial premise that Drive is a "stupid film," which I reject. Much of what follows crucially hangs on this point. Tracy very persuasively takes this assumption for granted, thus giving much of what he needs to argue against the film's favor, but I don't think it's true that it's a stupid film, even if it might seem so at first glance.

More later.

Black

I'm also not on board with the reviews notion that stupid films (whatever this is) can only be good if they recognize and indulge in their own stupidity. I don't know about that one.

[Izzy Black]

I'm also not on board with the reviews notion that stupid films (whatever this is) can only be good if they recognize and indulge in their own stupidity. I don't know about that one.

Right - many assumptions are made that simply aren't obvious or uncontroversial. Maybe a case example is you could say, perhaps, certain pre-modern propaganda films are stupid in that they are shallow and structurally basic/simplistic, without that self-awareness).

[B-side]

I mentioned some similarity with Mann in my blog entry (http://cinematicinsecurity.wordpress. com/2011/09/20/drive-refn-2011/) on the film. I didn't go into much detail, but an example would be in the moral ambiguity of criminality and the "window-gazing" so prominent in Mann's films that makes an appearance or two in Drive in properly somber and contemplative fashion. Thinking back, the comparison to Wong Kar-Wai makes a lot of sense, and you've more or less spoke for me in regards to the way in which the film fashions an 80s aesthetic around a very modern form.

[Qrazy]

Right - many assumptions are made that simply aren't obvious or uncontroversial. Maybe a case example is you could say, perhaps, certain pre-modern propaganda films are stupid in that they are shallow and structurally basic/simplistic, without that self-awareness).

And where would we be without Soy Cuba... nowhere I say!

[Izzy Black]

I mentioned some similarity with Mann in my blog entry (http://cinematicinsecurity.wordpress. com/2011/09/20/drive-refn-2011/) on the film. I didn't go into much detail, but an example would be in the moral ambiguity of criminality and the "window-gazing" so prominent in Mann's films that makes an appearance or two in Drive in properly somber and contemplative fashion. Thinking back, the comparison to Wong Kar-Wai makes a lot of sense, and you've more or less spoke for me in regards to the way in which the film fashions an 80s aesthetic around a very modern form.

Nice entry.


And where would we be without Soy Cuba... nowhere I say!

Lol, absolutely (it's in my top ten).

[Boner M]

What is the first to come to mind, if I might ask?
The Driver, naturally. Terse/elliptical stripping-down of genre to exploit the mythic dimensions of its archetypes, the divergent actings styles of the main players (Gosling/O'Neal's stoicism vs the more exuberant demeanor of Brooks/Bruce Dern), and that ethereal nocturnal ambience of LA (the use of greens, esp) that acts as a romantic dreamscape counterpoint to the cool-headed professionalism and practicality of its protagonist. I think Refn manages to bring that latent romanticism more to the forefront, especially since Gosling is a far more soulful presence than O'Neal. Granted, Refn's claimed he hadn't seen The Driver after making it, though its the influence was pretty broad (not that it's a particularly original film itself, just that its synthesis of forebearers formed its own blueprint, for Michael Mann esp, however consciously).

[lovejuice]

Not really my kind of movie. Refn did a damn fine job, but he seems to take the material -- which, to be honest, is quite silly -- way too seriously. Humor is sorely lacking, I fear.

It most reminds me of A History of Violence and No Country for Old Men. While Cronenberg and Cohen distance themselves from the movies and invite the audiences to chuckle along at some of the sillier elements, Refn seems to endorse everything with so much style I end up chuckle at the movie. And really, both AHoV and NCfoM have more solid scripts than Drive.

[Izzy Black]

The Driver, naturally. Terse/elliptical stripping-down of genre to exploit the mythic dimensions of its archetypes, the divergent actings styles of the main players (Gosling/O'Neal's stoicism vs the more exuberant demeanor of Brooks/Bruce Dern), and that ethereal nocturnal ambience of LA (the use of greens, esp) that acts as a romantic dreamscape counterpoint to the cool-headed professionalism and practicality of its protagonist. I think Refn manages to bring that latent romanticism more to the forefront, especially since Gosling is a far more soulful presence than O'Neal. Granted, Refn's claimed he hadn't seen The Driver after making it, though its the influence was pretty broad (not that it's a particularly original film itself, just that its synthesis of forebearers formed its own blueprint, for Michael Mann esp, however consciously).

Ah, I see.

[Izzy Black]

Not really my kind of movie. Refn did a damn fine job, but he seems to take the material -- which, to be honest, is quite silly -- way too seriously. Humor is sorely lacking, I fear.

I do think he takes the material a bit seriously - in a sense - but I'm not sure I see this as a vice. It's certainty a different approach. Most Hollywood action movies do not take themselves seriously. They usually descend into the level of self-reflexive camp. I can see why it didn't work out for you, but I didn't mind it.


It most reminds me of A History of Violence and No Country for Old Men. While Cronenberg and Cohen distance themselves from the movies and invite the audiences to chuckle along at some of the sillier elements, Refn seems to endorse everything with so much style I end up chuckle at the movie. And really, both AHoV and NCfoM have more solid scripts than Drive.

These films have heavier content, though. A History of Violence and NCFOM deal with themes such as fate and the underlying features of humanity. Drive is much less ambitious film in this regard. Could Drive have had more of a sense of humor? Maybe, but again, I don't mind it so much. There's still a lot of interesting things going on in this film.

[MadMan]

For me it goes AHOV>Drive>NCFOM. All three movies get ****, though, so its all a real moot point.

[Izzy Black]

I find that those films have very little in common.

[Sven]

For me, it's Labyrinth > Drive > Die Hard

[Qrazy]

For me it's Labyrinth > NCFOM > Die Hard > Drive > AHOV.

That is if we're ranking hairdos in these movies, which I assume we are.

[number8]

For me it's A Hard Day's Night > Drive > The sensation of having a Turkish man murder your local deli proprietor.

[Derek]

> The sensation of having a Turkish man murder your local deli proprietor.

The Turkish, always getting the short end of the stick.

[baby doll]

So guys, I'm amazed myself these songs have the impact that they do. They sound trashy, relentlessly and disturbingly retro, but somehow, they're lodged firmly in my head.

So, had this album not been about any movie, would we have been as enthusiastic about it? Or is it the synergy movie + score that really elevates the music? Must be right?I wasn't crazy about the movie, but I loved the music almost despite the movie, as its retro cheesiness seems indicative of the film's weirdly condescending attitude towards itself. It's a movie that seems to look down on low-budget genre cinema ("I thought they were shit") while at the same time suggesting that this is the sort of hyper-cool, hyper-violent trash that the moron masses really want. In other words, I love the songs as music, but the movie's ironic use of them betrays the filmmakers' cynicism--their inability to believe in a "real hero," so to speak.

[Qrazy]

I wasn't crazy about the movie, but I loved the music almost despite the movie, as its retro cheesiness seems indicative of the film's weirdly condescending attitude towards itself. It's a movie that seems to look down on low-budget genre cinema ("I thought they were shit") while at the same time suggesting that this is the sort of hyper-cool, hyper-violent trash that the moron masses really want. In other words, I love the songs as music, but the movie's ironic use of them betrays the filmmakers' cynicism--their inability to believe in a "real hero," so to speak.

Ehh I think taking one line from one character in the film as indicative of the filmmaker's intent is a misreading of the text.

[baby doll]

Ehh I think taking one line from one character in the film as indicative of the filmmaker's intent is a misreading of the text.Well, it's not just one line, it's the way the film positions itself as a neo-Walter Hill action picture. So that line is significant in that it makes explicit what was already communicated implicitly through other channels (notably the music).

[TripZone]

No one knew who Walter Hill was before this movie.

[Raiders]

No one knew who Walter Hill was before this movie.

Movie geeks and critics certainly already knew who he is, and the casual movie fan who saw this is not likely to make the connection to Hill's somewhat obscure reference point without any prior knowledge, so they still don't know who he is.

[MadMan]

Movie geeks and critics certainly already knew who he is, and the casual movie fan who saw this is not likely to make the connection to Hill's somewhat obscure reference point without any prior knowledge, so they still don't know who he is.Not to mention the fact that anyone who lived during the 80s probably saw the following movies directed by Hill: 48 Hours, The Long Riders (my dad's seen that movie, as has my uncle, so they know who Hill is too), Southern Comfort and Brewster's Millions. Not to mention his other movies such as The Warriors, Hard Times (with Charles Bronson), Geronimo: An American Legend, Wild Bill, and the rather successful Broken Trail mini-series he directed for AMC.

I've only seen 6 of his movies, though, and I only own one of them: Trespass, which is pretty damn good. Have to watch The Driver at some point. Streets of Fire is a cult classic, too.

[Derek]

I wasn't crazy about the movie, but I loved the music almost despite the movie, as its retro cheesiness seems indicative of the film's weirdly condescending attitude towards itself. It's a movie that seems to look down on low-budget genre cinema ("I thought they were shit") while at the same time suggesting that this is the sort of hyper-cool, hyper-violent trash that the moron masses really want. In other words, I love the songs as music, but the movie's ironic use of them betrays the filmmakers' cynicism--their inability to believe in a "real hero," so to speak.

The irony of you of all people complaining about a film's condescension towards genre cinema and the moron masses is priceless. Haven't been around to post much as of late, but had to pop in to give you a "bravo" for that one.

[MadMan]

I actually think that Albert Brooks' Bernie's comment about the movies he produced was really the movie making fun of itself, actually, or something along those lines. Which is why I laughed at that part.

Not really sure about the rest of your comments, baby doll. I have an idea of what to respond to them with, but my brain is tongue tied. There's something to be said of the fact that the film has already achieved cult status, but I don't think that was the intention of everyone involved.

[B-side]

Refn wasn't being condescending toward genre films. He makes nothing but genre films and seems to love doing so. The Albert Brooks line was Brooks being self-referential about his own work. And the music isn't self-deprecating so much as simply self-aware and affectedly retro-cool.

[Morris Schæffer]

I saw this again by the way. It's probably the most romantic movie of the year.

[Boner M]

The Albert Brooks line was Brooks being self-referential about his own work.
Exactly; or at least that's how I took it. Wouldn't have been surprised if Brooks ad-lobbed it himself.

[baby doll]

The irony of you of all people complaining about a film's condescension towards genre cinema and the moron masses is priceless. Haven't been around to post much as of late, but had to pop in to give you a "bravo" for that one.The reason auteurist critics like Sam Fuller is that his movies are genuinely strange and political. Drive seems to me fairly routine as filmmaking (apart from some arty, sub-Monte Hellman shots of Gosling driving aimlessly around Los Angeles). And in terms of its politics, despite the obvious nostalgia for what is erroneously perceived as a simpler time, Refn at least seems smart enough to see through the story's damsel in distress bullshit as untenable (I think Gosling has even described the character in interviews as some one who's seen too many movies), but he doesn't appear imaginative enough to come up with any better alternatives.

[baby doll]

Refn wasn't being condescending toward genre films. He makes nothing but genre films and seems to love doing so. The Albert Brooks line was Brooks being self-referential about his own work. And the music isn't self-deprecating so much as simply self-aware and affectedly retro-cool.Well, the movies his characters described (action pictures, sexy stuff--I don't remember the exact line) sounds a lot closer to a Canon Pictures programmer than Lost in America. (Then again, Canon Pictures also produced movies by John Cassavetes and Jean-Luc Godard.)

[Izzy Black]

It's a movie that seems to look down on low-budget genre cinema ("I thought they were shit") while at the same time suggesting that this is the sort of hyper-cool, hyper-violent trash that the moron masses really want.

(...)

Well, the movies his characters described (action pictures, sexy stuff--I don't remember the exact line) sounds a lot closer to a Canon Pictures programmer than Lost in America. (Then again, Canon Pictures also produced movies by John Cassavetes and Jean-Luc Godard.)

The more likely case is that the line, "One critic called them European. I thought they were shit" was merely Refn taking a humorous jab at himself. He makes European action movies after all. We're just supposed to laugh and move on.


Well, it's not just one line, it's the way the film positions itself as a neo-Walter Hill action picture. So that line is significant in that it makes explicit what was already communicated implicitly through other channels (notably the music).

Refn has said he was more inspired by the novel. He hadn't seen the movie until later. Refn also cites Sergio Leone as an artistic influence, particularly in regard to his approach to sound mixing and the use of music in his films. I don't think it's really correct to think of him as someone who condescends to genre films, and surely not so without some notable qualification. As Brightside said, Refn is himself decidedly a genre filmmaker.

[Izzy Black]

The reason auteurist critics like Sam Fuller is that his movies are genuinely strange and political. Drive seems to me fairly routine as filmmaking (apart from some arty, sub-Monte Hellman shots of Gosling driving aimlessly around Los Angeles).

The arty shots of Gosling driving around Los Angeles are in many ways the film's aesthetic centerpieces. Everything else is constructed and built around these sequences. They set the tone and even the film's thematic focus (in my view). When Gosling and Refn first met, they drove around LA at night listening to pop music, and Refn alledgedly began singing and tearing up, declaring that "This is the movie!"


And in terms of its politics, despite the obvious nostalgia for what is erroneously perceived as a simpler time

I don't think I share this sentiment. Depends on what you mean by "simpler." We have pretty seedy picture of LA on offer.

[Boner M]

ReFn.

[Izzy Black]

ReFn.

Oops. Thank you.

[Spinal]

It's a captivating, tense film for about an hour or so. It immediately sucks you in with that riveting opening sequence. I liked the set-up and the carefully balanced dynamics between the principal characters. Once it leaves the arthouse and turns full-on violent exploitation film, it started to lose me. The pain inflicted on the various characters rises, but unfortunately the stakes plummet as Gosling's character is revealed to be an irredeemable lost cause. Despite being a little emptier than I had initially hoped, it's still an engaging effort that's well worth seeing.

***

[megladon8]

I read the review in the local paper, and it referred to a scene in which Gosling's Driver "creates a human GPS system to avoid being caught".

The only scene I could imagine this person was referring to is the opening getaway, ending in the parking lot of the sportsplex.

But really..."human GPS system"? What the hell were they talking about there? He threw on a baseball cap and a reversible jacket to blend in with the crowd.

[Derek]

A human GPS system would be a human who knows the quickest routes and shortcuts. In other words, any decent getaway driver.

[Adam]

The entire chase he was listening to the Clippers game and timing his getaway based on when the crowd would be exiting the Staples Center

[megladon8]

I wasn't sure what thread to post this in, but I thought it was pretty great...


http://img804.imageshack.us/img804/7190/driverman1625x945.jpg

[Morris Schæffer]

A really cool article on the various Drive posters that were considered for the UK, but abandoned with quotes from the artist:

http://www.empireonline.com/features/alternative-drive-posters

[right_for_the_moment]

I saw a guy wearing the scorpion jacket the other day. Not sure how I felt about it.

[number8]

Awesome.

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/338/c/1/drive___poster_by_mikehorowitz-d4i61zo.jpg

[MadMan]

Now that's a truly radical poster.

[Morris Schæffer]

Brilliant, but the title font is a bit too elongated.

[Pop Trash]

After watching this for the third time, I can still see why this has such a dichotomy among film fans/critics between being "a pretty OK genre exercise" and "ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR!" It's certainly shallow, but there is something about it that keeps bringing me back. It also has a "spot that influence" aspect as well. I'm still not quite sure how much I like it, but that might have to do with the Taxi Driver comparisons when a) it's not nearly as good and b) I feel those comparisons are way off the mark anyway.

Some new thoughts/questions:
-what's up with the strippers reaction when Gosling is going to town on that guy with a hammer? I can't tell if Refn just staged it that way cuz it "looked cool" or if there is some weird, catatonic Bressonian anti-reaction going on. If someone came into a strip club dressing room and was about to bash somebody's head in with a hammer, you would think that would get a rise out of the topless strippers hanging around.
-I'd also like to say I love the dissolve at the 1:04 mark right before the afore mentioned scene where Gosling's head is on the left of the frame and then the flick dissolves into Gosling walking down stairs in the middle of the frame. Just a random shot that means nothing, but looks really cool. Perhaps a metaphor for the whole film in question?

[baby doll]

Some new thoughts/questions:
-what's up with the strippers reaction when Gosling is going to town on that guy with a hammer? I can't tell if Refn just staged it that way cuz it "looked cool" or if there is some weird, catatonic Bressonian anti-reaction going on. If someone came into a strip club dressing room and was about to bash somebody's head in with a hammer, you would think that would get a rise out of the topless strippers hanging around.I think they're just indifferent, coked-out whores with fake tits.

[Bosco B Thug]

Bressonian anti-reaction.

[MadMan]

After a rewatch tonight, I've fully embraced this movie. There is just something about Drive that gets under you skin, and I was surprised that it engaged my attention as much the second time around as it did when I first watched it on the big screen. Also thanks to my friend I was able to see it in Blu Ray, and it looked fantastic.

Oh and unless there is a sequel for now I have changed my mind,a and I think he dies after being stabbed by Bernie Rose. The last scene of him driving is just what is going on in his mind as he is dying.

The Taxi Driver comparisons are interesting, but I am not sure I see them beyond the idea that (and don't read this if you have not seen Taxi Driver or Drive): the last act may be a dream the main character is having as he lies dying.

Well that and for now I consider Drive to be the better movie of the two *dodges thrown objects and runs away*

Still Taxi Driver is up for a rewatch, and I imagine that my rating would probably go up. I thought it was great, but I didn't quite know what I had exactly blind bought. Sure I knew about its reputation and all, but that doesn't really scratch the surface of that particular movie. You could say the same thing about Drive, actually. Well that's aimed at those folks who thought for whatever reason Drive was going to be anything remotely like The Fast and the Furious (those people are horribly mistaken).

[Morris Schæffer]

I think the strippers indifference is perhaps meant to assure that the main focus of that scene remains in full view. A bunch of hysterical women screaming might have broken the eerie, commanding spell Refn was casting during that, and indeed many other scenes.

[Sycophant]

My attempted reading of the hammer/strippers scene is a few pages back. The scene's problematic for me.

The adoration of the hammer by the film's fans sit wrong with me.

[MadMan]

Last night's viewing also convinced me that The Driver is really not to be admired. After all he kills at least what, 5-6 people? Plus he murders Nino in cold blood, and even kills the man's driver in the process. He is clearly an anti-hero.

Comparing the Driver to Travis Bickle in terms of realizing that both are probably sociopaths with a hero complex strikes me as rather wise in each case. I still find it amusing that once again Driver is so obviously inspired by/a homage to Shane, too. My case for that is several things:

*Loner helps out woman and her son. Woman's husband was in jail in this instance, but its clear that he feels a bit threatened by how his wife looks at this stranger.

*Meanwhile, trouble brews, and this leads the stranger to get involved in other people's problems. Namely the folks that he has decided to hang out with. The Driver wishing that he could just run away with Irene reminds me of how Shane is about Shane trying to forget his violent past and move on. The Driver clearly also has a violent past, or at least has no problem with committing violent acts if necessary.

Don't read if you haven't seen Shane or Drive
*All of this ends with both Shane and the Driver defeating the bad guy, but getting wounded in the process. In both cases, you could almost make the argument that each of them die, although granted both movies end with the hero riding off into the sunset. Well, Drive switches to the Driver at night, but still...

[Morris Schæffer]

Well, I must have said it before in this thread, but parts of the kid or driver reminded me of Anton Chigurh, except a good version of him, but just as violent.

[Fezzik]

I finally got to see this Saturday.

It's got style to spare, and Gosling is better than it might seem on the surface since his character is mostly silent, but to me, the biggest strength of the film is watching the cyclone erupt around the Driver.

He seems like the eye of a hurricane for the first half of the film. He's so calm about everything that everyone else seems jittery and aggressive in comparison.

Then the heist in the middle goes wrong and everything explodes and it's like watching Bruce Banner Hulk out.

My favorite moment is

the scene in the elevator, after the driver caves the hitman's face in with his foot. Irene slowly backs out and we cut to the expression on the driver's face - crazed, unstable, violent - and feel the same momentary repulsion Irene does because it feels so out of character - then the elevator closes on Irene and the Driver is left alone. Masterful execution.

The violence is brutal, yes, but I think it comes off as even more brutal than it actually is because of the sudden nature of it. For the first half of the film, nothing, then suddenly, gore.

Nothing is romanticized, nothing is glorified, it just is.

Brooks was fantastic, and I understand why people were fuming over his lack of nomination.

This is by far one of the best films of the year, and the fact that it was ignored by the academy just proves to me once and for all that they have no clue about what they're doing.

Also, Carey Mulligan is so freaking adorable, I want to hug her every time she appears on a movie screen, even with the short blonde hair.

This is a solid "A" film

[Dead & Messed Up]

This was excellent. A morally ambiguous, lovely, haunting story of a lost soul who dreams of being a hero. Ryan Gosling plays the Driver with precision, and his performance centers the film's retro-fantasyland, a fever dream of action film cliche and noir romance. While these inspirations are whittled down to the most basic of elements, Refn's construction of shots and emphasis on the unspoken invite viewers to consider the depths of characters built on archetype. Sometimes the excesses of the film go a little too far, specifically the violence and slow-motion.

B+

[EyesWideOpen]

Anybody want the digital copy of this movie. It came with my blu-ray and it's Sony Ultraviolet so it looks like you don't need the disc.

[number8]

Anybody want the digital copy of this movie. It came with my blu-ray and it's Sony Ultraviolet so it looks like you don't need the disc.

Umm, yes? Can I?

[number8]

It just occurred to me that I probably have those unused digital copy download codes lying around.

Maybe we should have a trading thread for them.

[EyesWideOpen]

Umm, yes? Can I?

It's yours.

[EyesWideOpen]

It just occurred to me that I probably have those unused digital copy download codes lying around.

Maybe we should have a trading thread for them.

Me and duke (I think) had this conversation in some thread here not too long ago. I was going through my blu-ray collection and was going to give a bunch away and found out most of them required the disc so I just went ahead and added those to my itunes. I think I only had one or two that I could add to amazon and the other few I gave away.

Another helpful hint is that if they say they're expired 90% of the time they'll still work.

[number8]

Yeah, figures. I'm gonna go see which ones I have don't require a disc.

[Kurosawa Fan]

This was excellent. A morally ambiguous, lovely, haunting story of a lost soul who dreams of being a hero. Ryan Gosling plays the Driver with precision, and his performance centers the film's retro-fantasyland, a fever dream of action film cliche and noir romance. While these inspirations are whittled down to the most basic of elements, Refn's construction of shots and emphasis on the unspoken invite viewers to consider the depths of characters built on archetype. Sometimes the excesses of the film go a little too far, specifically the violence and slow-motion.


This. Nice way to get out of my movie funk. I actually appreciated the jarring effect of the violence, breaking through the serenity that the atmosphere had created in the first thirty minutes. And it toned down gradually after that first outburst. This was masterfully directed. Seriously impressive work. Refn had enough confidence in his talents to let shots linger, to slowly build rather than rush to action. I can see this improving in my mind over the next day or two.

[Grouchy]

This was glorious. Glorious, I say!

[StanleyK]

I didn't get much out of this. I enjoyed some of its stylistic flourishes and more elliptical passages, but ultimately it's a pretty shallow film, so self-consciously striving for coolness that it didn't elicit any sort of reaction from me. It fails as a mood piece and it fails as a deconstruction. The only thing I felt was occasional disgust at the ludicrous violence. I don't get what the big deal is about Albert Brooks, by the way; the highlight for me was clearly Bryan Cranston.

[Spinal]

I think there's some novelty to seeing Brooks play a tough guy. But I'll agree. It wasn't a performance I found to be especially riveting.

[Raiders]

It fails as a mood piece
I don't understand this. The film does nothing if not establish a very distinct and consistent mood.

[Boner M]

This gets even stronger as a mood piece on repeat viewings for me. The dissolve edits are outta this world.

[transmogrifier]

This gets even stronger as a mood piece on repeat viewings for me. The dissolve edits are outta this world.

Man, how can I watch this now? What if the dissolve edits don't live up to the hype? Thanks a bunch, Aussie.

:sad:

[Ezee E]

Man, how can I watch this now? What if the dissolve edits don't live up to the hype? Thanks a bunch, Aussie.

:sad:
:lol:

[Robby P]

This was really quite good. I'm amazed at how shocked I was by some of the violence. I thought I had been completely desensitized to that sort of thing.

[Milky Joe]

StanleyK fails as both a deconstruction AND as a mood piece.

[megladon8]

Lowe's uses a social networking program called Connections for everyone company-wide to keep in touch. It's being incorporated into daily routine on both the store level and corporate level, as a way for managers to assign tasks to workers, communicating about promotions, and as a helpful resource.

I have a blog on Connections called "Song of the Day, Movie of the Week, and Book of the Month".

I used this film for this week. Here's my write-up...


Today's Movie of the Week is one of the most polarizing films from last year (due to, in my opinion, an incredibly misleading ad campaign). Made to look like the next "Fast and the Furious" franchise, it's actually a totally retro crime-thriller, methodically paced and brilliantly directed. Bringing back memories of Steve McQueen's greatest escapades like "Bullitt" and "The Getaway", it is a stylish noir thriller that's reminiscent of some of the best films of the genre, while bringing new life to a style of film we rarely see executed so well.

"Drive" (2011 / Nicolas Winding Refn)

I have to admit, I've never been much of a Ryan Gosling fan. And it's not that I ever disliked him, I just never saw what the big deal was surrounding him. Around the mid-to-late 2000's, critics were talking about his performances in films like "Half Nelson" and "Lars and the Real Girl" as some kind of a revelation, saying that he was (and is) one of the greatest young actors not only in Hollywood, but in the world. I saw someone who was certainly competent, but I didn't get much of a "leading man charisma" from his performances. This single movie has made me do a complete 180 on Gosling, as it shows an actor capable of intensity and rich emotion, and one who created what I'm certain will prove to be an iconic character in the young, questionably sane Driver.
Much like Martin Scorsese's timeless "Taxi Driver", "Drive" shows us a protagonist who is deeply confused, thrust into a world of violence and forced to make moral choices affecting everyone around him. And, like "Taxi Driver", the film itself is skeptical as to whether or not this character is heroic, or completely insane. "Taxi Driver"'s Travis Bickle (played by Robert De Niro) reveals some disturbing psychoses through his voice over narration, while Gosling's Driver is much more mysterious, his actions alluding to a dangerous past. And, similar to Travis Bickle, Driver's inner rage comes to a boil, exploding in shockingly brutal violence. In one of the most shocking scenes in "Drive", Gosling turns towards the camera after a particularly gory scene, his face spattered in blood, and his expression so frighteningly predatory he is unrecognizable as the cool, sexy Driver we had seen in previous scenes. When Driver gets mad, he "Hulks out".
Which is apt, considering the film was one of the most popular of the showings at last year's ComicCon. Nicolas Winding Refn, the director of "Drive", has openly stated that this film is his response to ( or "version of") a comic book superhero film. The character Gosling plays is only ever known as "Driver" (or, occasionally "kid" in conversation), and his signature scorpion jacket is put on for jobs, like a costume. In fact, later in the film, he not only has the jacket, but also wears a mask. The moral ambiguity of his actions makes it very difficult to describe him as a "hero", but all the elements are there - the damsel in distress, the cartoonishly evil villain, the tortured hero with a secret identity (a past purposely withheld from the audience, allowing us to make our own assumptions based on his actions). While the idea of a sequel to this movie makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit, I can't deny that it works as a pretty great origin story for a new vigilante superhero called "Driver".
I can understand why audiences were so perplexed by this movie when it showed in theatres last summer. The ads made it look like a fast paced action movie - the type that 17 year olds would bring their dates to. But it's not an action movie (at least, not by today's standards), and it's not really the type of movie I'd take a first date to, either. Compared to today's movies, it's fairly slow, driven more by the characters and the overall mood of the film, than a story that takes us from action scene A to action scene B with as little filler as possible. Which can certainly be frustrating for some.
Personally, it was the best movie I saw last year.

[Boner M]

I find it frankly baffling that this is the film to sell you on Gosling's "intensity and rich emotion".

[Derek]

I find it frankly baffling that this is the film to sell you on Gosling's "intensity and rich emotion".

He expresses a lot without saying much here, so I have no problem with his performance being described as intense and emotionally rich. Still, I think he's even better in Half Nelson and Blue Valentine...

[DavidSeven]

Did you end up seeing Half Nelson, Meg? Your review sort of implies you did, but I recall an earlier discussion where you said you hadn't seen it or Blue Valentine. That double-whammy is definitely what completely sold the cinephile crowd on Gosling's ability to play a compelling lead in interesting movies. Personally, having seen those films, I thought he could have done even more with the role of Driver (though it's still a very interesting performance, and I'm sure he was handcuffed a bit by Refn's approach to the material).

[Qrazy]

Half Nelson is a crappy film, Gosling's performance in it is adequate.

[Boner M]

That double-whammy is definitely what completely sold the cinephile crowd on Gosling's ability to play a compelling lead in interesting movies.
Nah, 2001's The Believer already did that.

[Raiders]

Half Nelson is a crappy film, Gosling's performance in it is adequate.

Give it up.

[Boner M]

Give it up.
Q's post paired with his sig made me LOL.

[Skitch]

Half Nelson is a crappy film, Gosling's performance in it is adequate.

Drive made me doubly dislike it, because Gosling was so damned good in Drive. His performance in Drive really made me feel like he mailed it in Half Nelson. HN wasn't bad, I just couldn't feel compassion for his character. Maybe I need to rewatch HN.

[megladon8]

Did you end up seeing Half Nelson, Meg? Your review sort of implies you did, but I recall an earlier discussion where you said you hadn't seen it or Blue Valentine. That double-whammy is definitely what completely sold the cinephile crowd on Gosling's ability to play a compelling lead in interesting movies. Personally, having seen those films, I thought he could have done even more with the role of Driver (though it's still a very interesting performance, and I'm sure he was handcuffed a bit by Refn's approach to the material).


Yes I saw Half Nelson, but I have not seen Blue Valentine.

I thought Half Nelson was all right. Gosling was interesting in it, but as I noted in my mini-write-up, he didn't astound me the way he did others.

Blue Valentine sounds very depressing.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Nah, 2001's The Believer already did that.

Yup.

[Spinal]

Blue Valentine sounds very depressing.

It is. Good movie, but it hurts a lot. Doubt I'll ever be up for seeing it again.

[megladon8]

Just got the BluRay.

If anyone wants the code for the digital copy, let me know. I don't need it.

[Ezee E]

Just got the BluRay.

If anyone wants the code for the digital copy, let me know. I don't need it.
I'll jump on that!

[megladon8]

I'll jump on that!


Sending it to you in PM...

[megladon8]

So apparently the digital copy is only redeemable in Canada.

Any Canadian posters want it, let me know.

[megladon8]

A couple of the comments I received on my write-up on the Lowe's site:


"if this was the best movie you saw , get out more. this sucked"


"My husband and I both thought that the main purpose of this movie was for the people that do special blood & guts effects to get more practice. I thought the movie was over-the-top, unnecessarily gory, as did my husband, who (mind you) is generally VERY into that stuff. When that movie ended, I wished that I had the bit of time I wasted watching the movie back."


"The blood and guts were fine with me, but i don't see how a guy can make a living in movies when he just stares at what ever and looks like he doesn't have a clue. waste of my dollar at the Redbox."

[Sycophant]

Those comments basically ring true for me. I guess I should see this again to see if I was just in a pissy mood or something.

[Melville]

So apparently the digital copy is only redeemable in Canada.

Any Canadian posters want it, let me know.
I'm in the UK, but some sites seem to think I'm still in Canada. I loved the movie, so I could give it a try.

[Melville]

I'm in the UK, but some sites seem to think I'm still in Canada. I loved the movie, so I could give it a try.
Nice. It worked. If I ever have a digital copy of something, I'll return the favor.

[Scar]

A couple of the comments I received on my write-up on the Lowe's site:


"if this was the best movie you saw , get out more. this sucked"


"My husband and I both thought that the main purpose of this movie was for the people that do special blood & guts effects to get more practice. I thought the movie was over-the-top, unnecessarily gory, as did my husband, who (mind you) is generally VERY into that stuff. When that movie ended, I wished that I had the bit of time I wasted watching the movie back."


"The blood and guts were fine with me, but i don't see how a guy can make a living in movies when he just stares at what ever and looks like he doesn't have a clue. waste of my dollar at the Redbox."

I can't say I'm overly shocked by the reaction. As much as I love the movie, I know a lot of people won't 'get it'.

[MadMan]

Having revisited it one more time due to having received it as a gift for my birthday, I now agree with the idea of The Driver as being a man pushed to the edge and forced to result to violence. Although its still disturbing (and a bit amusing) that after curb stomping that guy's head in during the elevator scene, he spends the rest of the movie walking around with his jacket covered in blood. Guess The Driver didn't have time to hit up the dry cleaners....

Also the film's pacing is really brisk and quick. The film's opening scene takes up a decent part of the movie. And yet I'm glad that the movie wasn't longer.

[D_Davis]

So Drive was absolutely brilliant. With that and Valhalla Rising, Refn might be my new favorite director. But what's with people saying that Drive hardly had any dialog? I kept hearing about how no one talked in the movie. Next to Valhalla Rising, it's practically a Kevin Smith/Tarantino flick. I expected two hours of dudes staring at each other.

[D_Davis]

Refn wasn't being condescending toward genre films. He makes nothing but genre films and seems to love doing so. The Albert Brooks line was Brooks being self-referential about his own work. And the music isn't self-deprecating so much as simply self-aware and affectedly retro-cool.

I think the music is anachronistic, like a lot of the film. It seems to take place in its own time period, like a Tarantino film. Everything from the film's font, to his jacket and the music is pure '80s, and yet it seems to take place today.

[EyesWideOpen]

So Drive was absolutely brilliant. With that and Valhalla Rising, Refn might be my new favorite director. But what's with people saying that Drive hardly had any dialog? I kept hearing about how no one talked in the movie. Next to Valhalla Rising, it's practically a Kevin Smith/Tarantino flick. I expected two hours of dudes staring at each other.

I'm with you. Every person I recommended the movie to came back saying it was boring and that nothing happens. I'm like what movie were you guys watching?

[MadMan]

Exactly. Aside from the scenes with Carry Mulligan and Ryan Gosling, which were slow because, well, duh that was the whole point, the rest of the movie goes by really quickly. Plenty happens. After Oscar Issac's character bites it, the whole entire rest of the film features violence, plenty of driving, and some rather gory bits.

I think that people can attribute others being bored by this movie to those people expecting "Fast and the Furious."

[Henry Gale]

Zane Lowe got BBC 3 to facilitate and air something pretty cool, with Refn's blessing and participation, he corralled a bunch of UK artists to re-score the entire film with brand new music. They released the very good CHVRCHES contribution "Get Away" (https://soundcloud.com/chvrches/chvrches-get-away) along with the announcement, so having had that in heavy personal rotation and in my head for the last week or so, I did look forward to it for some of the other artists, while remaining trepidatious about others.

Kermode's piece about it:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es3pxp0-9Es

I managed to catch the second half or so of it all on an online stream (from the scene where Gosling's character finds Oscar Isaac beat up in the parking lot onwards), and, expectedly, but not entirely worthlessly, it's pretty hit and miss.

A major factor is definitely my love for it in its original form, having seen it more than a few times and listened to the soundtrack (even all the way past the tunes through all the niche-ier, gorgeous Martinez score pieces) even more than that. If anything, it's a nice experiment that ended up proving to me just how perfectly assembled the movie was to begin with. What I experienced of the new soundtrack just didn't play to the emotional and visceral beats of the backbone of the film nearly as well. A cool song would come on, but it would intrude on the timing of a moment best left silent originally. Or a completely out of place song would stomp over a scene made so transcendent by its pre-existing score that I just wanted to go back and watch it that way. Apparently the SAP button did give you the option to jump between the new and the real music, which is again, pretty cool but I couldn't do it.

It's definitely something I'd like to see again done with other films as a continuing series, and maybe curaters by people other than Lowe (who I do like). Even better if it's a film without such a beloved and already iconic set of music attached to it, which is basically 99% percent of stuff released in the past decade.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWQOw6mrskg

[megladon8]

Oh man, in the Halloween episode of "Bob's Burgers", Louise dressed up as Driver.

Made me love the show even more