Drive (2011)

[Crenners]

I got the recent Second Sight 4K release of this film, one I last watched probably around its initial release. My memory was of a stylish film with a brilliant soundtrack and Gosling looking very fucking handsome in a cool jacket but I didn't remember an awful lot about it. In terms of key scenes, I only really remembered the elevator hitting pretty hard.

The 4K release, while an upscale, is absolutely beautiful, especially in the nighttime scenes. In HDR, the colours are absolutely gorgeous and the scene where the Driver takes Carey Mulligan and Benicio out for a drive alongside the LA river was wonderful, reminded me of GTAV but it was very tender and euphoric, wonderful perfectly apt soundtrack by College.

There whole film hit me much harder this time, though. Cranston's character is really sad, destined told his fate from the moment you first see him hobbling through the shot. Perlman is very good, broad but scuzzy and dangerous and loathsome. Albert Brooks is very ambiguous, horrendous but self-aware enough and human enough to be almost a sympathetic figure. Oscar Isaacs is great, threatening but weak and again, you empathise with his pitiful desperation.

The core is Gosling, though. Yes, 'it me' and all that, but I really admired his strength and singularity. I would like - quite frankly - to think that I would be as single-minded and brave to protect my nearest and dearest. It doesn't bother me at all that he may be a psychopath, I have to acknowledge that I myself may have a relatively narrow and intense sphere of loyalty, albeit partly due to the demands of compassion fatigue in real life. He is cool, yep, but it's the bravery and integrity that stands out and means the most to me.

Long story short, I thought this was a Fight Club tier film in my memory but rewatching, it made me weep and holler and punch the air as much as I admired the styling and the magnificent soundtrack. It's a very broad strokes emotive juggernaut and one of the best films I've seen from this millennium.

What do you make of it?

[ImmaculateClump]

Valhalla Rising is his best I reckon, and that's not great.

Have you still not gotten round to Jodorowsky yet? The Holy Mountain is my favouritist film ever.

I can't remember much of Drive, to be honest. One of those films that washed over me. I'll have taken the time and given my thoughts on a forum back when it came out but that'll all be long gone.
Hope that helps!

[Sebastian Cobb]

Guy looks like Rodney Trotter.

[ImmaculateClump]

Litrully me

[Crenners]

Hahaha

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Real human bean
And a real hero
Real human bean

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I have a lot of fond nostalgic memories associated with it: The cinema had a special screening of it, followed by a quiz in which the prize was a fancy car rental for a weekend. Naturally, I single handedly battered all the other teams and we took the car down to visit some friends at the seaside.

No idea if the film still holds up, as I've not watched it in ages. I certainly remember it being good, although that might be because it seemed custom made for 20-something film bro types, which I was at the time.

I haven't heard much about Refn lately. Apparently he did some series on Amazon Prime in 2019, but the first I knew of it was looking up Wikipedia just now.

[Goldentony]

Came away from the whole of the Amazon series he did amazed that he'd been allowed to do it. It's put together like an hours long version of something more in line with Only God Forgives. Slow moving, no clear idea what the fuck you're waiting for the entire time, larges portions of silence or ultraviolent murder and tons and tons of reggae No nice people in it at all. I was a very big fan of it. It went on forever and didn't stop being weird or horrible. It's mad that it exists. If you like Refn and his repeated themes in excess sound good (ie everything above) then you'd enjoy it but its glacial for such long periods. I wanted to see it originally because Refn himself put a photo of him up next to an actor called George Payne whosfamous for eing in some of the rougher pornos of the whole Golden Age period.

I liked Drive when I saw it and then every time since. Big criticism at the time seemed to be that Gosling sort of just stands around not saying much but I dont know what the fuck you'd need him to do otherwise. Guys whole character has to be found to be useful to you, and of course he didn't ask to fall in love did he. He isn't looking for any of it but it found him and it fucked everything up. HE BROKE HIS OWN RULES didn't he and he DIDNT HAVE A CHOICE.

also it looks and sounds gorgeous and i'm glad I saw it in the cinema. The series of events with Standard (think thats Oscar Isaac's characterisn't it???) and the job he needs help with is amazing.

[dontpaintyourteeth]

what's that refn thing that looks good but has no substance to it whatsoever

[Crenners]

Drive (2011)

[Goldentony]

Drive, Only God Forgives, The Neon Demon and Too Old To Die Young are all better than Generation Terrorists.

[dontpaintyourteeth]

I can dig it

[Dex Sawash]

I've looked up this Nicky Refn(stahl) and can confirm seeing the film Bronson and enjoying that one. Also a new Refn tv series mediadump happened 1 day ago for Copenhagen Cowboy on Netflix. Shame it wasn't for something hitler-adjacent to make my Refn(stahl) zinger, that definitely no one else has ever thought of, less pointless.

[dissolute ocelot]

One of those films I loved at the time but am a little scared to revisit. Glad to hear it stands up. Soundtrack is good anyway.

Gosling's definitely one of those actors who's great when he has a role that requires him to stand still and look mysterious (cf First Man*) but very anonymous in a lot of stuff (I don't understand why Half Nelson got all the praise). Although I'd like to see him do more comedy.

I was going to write something about Refn, but realised I was confusing him with both Lukas Moodysson and some miserable French cunt.

*Although for miserable astronauts, I think Brad Pitt in Ad Astra is a shade better.

[up_the_hampipe]

Real human bean
And a real hero
Real human bean

This film should have really been called "Synthwave: The Movie".

[Mobius]

I watched this last night it was good. Didn't remember a lot of it, don't think I knew who Oscar Isaac was when it came out. Forgot what a shit Albert Brooks is

[waste of chops]

Yeah the Second Sight blu ray's alright but it doesn't have this does it

[Bad Ambassador]

I watched that at the time and can confirm that every single song was worse.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

don't think I knew who Oscar Isaac was when it came out.

I think I might have seen him being quite awful in Sucker Punch, so I wasn't expecting him to go on to much. Bryan Cranston was the one I was expecting big things from, but his film career never really seemed to catch fire.

[Butchers Blind]

I think we can all agree that Ryan Gosling's best film is The Nice Guys.

[Joe Qunt]

Drive is a film that's been unfairly meme'd for its appeal to losers but is actually fucking brilliant. Like Fight Club, Joker or American Psycho.

[Crenners]

Drive is a film that's been unfairly meme'd for its appeal to losers but is actually fucking brilliant. Like Fight Club, Joker or American Psycho.

Yeah, great call. That's what put me off a rewatch but it's fantastic. When the pressures and heartaches and outcomes start to accumulate, Gosling is absolutely superb at playing a cool, assured guy on the verge.

[Joe Qunt]

Yeah, great call. That's what put me off a rewatch but it's fantastic. When the pressures and heartaches and outcomes start to accumulate, Gosling is absolutely superb at playing a cool, assured guy on the verge.

One of my favourite actors for sure. Wouldn't call Drive his best performance though, think that might belong to Full Nelson or The Believer.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I think we can all agree that Ryan Gosling's best film is The Nice Guys.

It's certainly the only thing I've seen him in where he raises his voice and doesn't sound (unintentionally) ridiculous. The Place Beyond the Pines is an interesting film, but him yelling at people during the bank robbery scenes makes Paul Dano sound butch.

[QDRPHNC]

I saw this once, a few years ago after the hype had died down and to be honest I can't remember much about it, whatever deeper levels it was working on just went right by me. Will revisit it based on this thread.

[ImmaculateClump]

Drive is a film that's been unfairly meme'd for its appeal to losers but is actually fucking brilliant. Like Fight Club, Joker or American Psycho.

Nah, hard disagree on that.
Fight Club is terrible. American Psycho was a huge disappointment after the book.
Joker is alright for what it is, throwaway pooper hero taxi driver fanfic. Enjoyable enough.

Drive isn't great, it's mediocre. It's been built up to more than what it is by tossers.
Refn is a wank.

[Dr Rock]

Hugh Jackman was originally gonna play Rodney

Rodders is pretty good in the new action spy fillum, The Gray Man, anyone seen it? Quite a few nods to Commando for my money.

[Poobum]

I like Drive. Find this snippet of interview hilarious.

[The Culture Bunker]

I've got the DVD, but only watched it once. I think I was expecting more car chases and (shallow as I am) wanted more Christina Hendricks, though she only has about three scenes. I liked the soundtrack at the time, but that kind of music has been done better since.

I think the only other knowledge I have of the director is his likeness being used in the video game 'Death Stranding'.

[dissolute ocelot]

I think we can all agree that Ryan Gosling's best film is The Nice Guys.

Lars and the Real Girl is fun, and First Man is very good as documentary recreation with some great sequences like the Apollo 1 fire, but this is probably correct.