Grade: C-
“Drive” has all the makings of a sophisticated crime thriller. Plastered with moments of what should be adrenaline-pumping intensity and sensual violence, director Nicolas Winding Refn’s film is the story of a Hollywood stunt performer (Ryan Gosling) with a knack for high-speed stylings behind the wheel. The stuntman, who remains unnamed throughout the film, moonlights as a getaway driver for mobsters and burglars, which leads to an overly intricate plot arc as he becomes entrenched in a gritty heist. The film never quite reaches high gear, though, and its art-house quality drags the narrative through a laborious trajectory. As if the slowness weren’t enough, the film becomes inundated with gruesomeness after its first half hour, leaving audiences with nothing to savor but gratuitous blood and flat characters.
Editor’s Pick: “Drive”
September 28, 2011