New DVD Review-Drive

Drive is a film from director Nicholas Winding Refn, whose only other known film is the overrated and convoluted Valhalla Rising. It stars Ryan Gosling who people seem to be just noticing, despite great performances in The Notebook, Fracture, Lars and the Real Girl, and my personal favorite, Half Nelson. The film was advertised as a Fast & the Furious style action film about a getaway driver. Drive is not an action film, nor are there any over the top chase sequences. However what Drive lacks in action, it makes up for in terrific directing and great performances. Refn directs like he has been doing this for forty years, and there are so many great shots, it reminded me very much of Road to Perdition. While its not quite on the level of Perdition, Refn uses Drive like his own playground, similar to how Mendes did with that film. In addition to Gosling, you also get great performances from Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, and Albert Brooks. Drive may not be the action film people hoped, but succeeds on many other levels. I give Drive 8 Ninja Stars out of 10 and recommend seeing it. Drive Co-stars Christina Hendricks and Ron Perlman.