'Drive', a film I had put aside for days on end due to me being scared I wouldn't find any enjoyment out of it, is now fully apparent to me just how special this is film really is.
From the opening frame to the closing frame, my eyes were glued to the beauty that was 'Drive'. From the directing, acting, story, script, pacing, score/soundtrack, cinematography, and all the way down to the lighting, 'Drive' is crafted masterfully. Director Nicolas Winding Refn had a vision and the movie was his and his alone from the get go. The subtly, the precision, the mystery, violence, intrigue, and reality of the world of 'Drive' sets in early and it never loses it's grip.
Each and every moment of this film had my attention, the score/soundtrack had my feet tapping and my heart pumping. The mystery surrounding Ryan Gosling's character had me invested into the story more than I ever could have imagined. When the movie gets violent you learn more about the world of 'Drive' while ounces of blood are spilled across the ground. The film's pacing never loses it's touch as it rumbles along as gracefully as a Ford Mustang. The supporting cast includes underrated talents that perform well above their experience that include the likes of Carey Mulligan (Inside Llewyn Davis), Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), and Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy).
All of their performances are an important cog in many, but none more important than the presence and performance by Ryan Gosling. The way he moves, his body language, his mannerisms, his subtle facial movements show us as an audience a deeper world behind this character. A world full of pain, sorrow, guilt, madness, and violence, a world that is reminiscent of the one we are witnessing in that moment, a world that he cannot escape.
With all that being said, this movie simply isn't just for anyone. Many people will find a disconnect and will be left scratching their heads as to why so many adore this masterpiece. Which is fine, as this film goes beyond just being an everyday film, it's an art, a perfect craft in the world of modern cinema. What I would recommend is that you view this film if you would like to further yourself as a film enthusiast, and whether or not you like it, that's entirely up to you. It will only further your experiences as a moviegoer where you come across different kinds of film. Which then leads to the possibility that you will begin to understand the beauty of filmography that much more, introducing you to just how many near-perfect films there really are.
Wrapping things up, 'Drive' not only is a masterpiece, it is a film that is destined to become an all-time great classic, praised by the generations to come. It's not for everyone and that's okay, but I implore you to give it a chance and if you walk away disliking it, that's okay because film is such a subjective form of art. Director Nicolas Winding Refn has taken a blank canvas and painted a beauty with such careful and meaningful strokes. A piece of art that will now be hung up along the walls with the best of the best for years to come.
I give 'Drive' a 9.9/10