DRIVE (R)
Starring Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston
Released by Film District

Drive stars the gifted Ryan Gosling as a stunt car driver who works as a wheelman for hire on the side. After coming to the aid of a woman in his apartment complex (played by the gorgeous and talented Carey Mulligan), Gosling finds himself on an inner city mobster hit list. Drive is a tight, taut, expertly crafted thriller from director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson) and while it is an exercise in extreme violence and near unbearable tension, it is first and foremost a character driven piece. Gosling is incredibly tense but with a soft, vulnerable side. Mulligan is the epitome of class as the object of his affection. Albert Brooks pops up as a ruthless mob boss and after seeing him in this, I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to watch Defending Your Life (an underappreciated gem of a movie) in quite the same way again. Also turning in great performances are Ron Perlman and Bryan Cranston. While all the performances here are brilliant, the real star of Drive is director Nicolas Winding Refn who manages to fuse relentless tension with stunning character work. Furthermore, this talented film-maker doesn't merely use L.A. as a backdrop. Los Angeles also serves as a supporting character. In that regard, Drive is a little reminiscent of the works of Michael Mann (specifically, Heat and Collateral). The darker nature of Drive will probably keep it from being a film for the masses, but for this particular movie goer, its clearly one of the best films of the year.

Grade: A-