Notes

Drive Movie Review
The drive movie: a film genre that appeals to man-boys, teen-goers, and car lovers. It’s a genre that, in the right hands, can envelop you like a fever dream. Drive, starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan, is one such movie. The neon aesthetic, synth-heavy soundtrack, and apocalyptic setting are enough to draw you in. But the film’s real strength lies in its kinetic storytelling, with scenes of intense violence blending seamlessly with moments of shared love. Only For Love —which requires him to barely speak—is a tour de force of emotion and power.

In addition to its kinetic energy, the film is a complex and rewarding story of redemption. Every component of the movie’s aesthetic explores this struggle: The Driver’s love for Irene and her wide-eyed son Benicio represent qualities of life he strives to protect; the car, which is typically a symbol of freedom and mobility, becomes a vessel of isolation for The Driver as he spends most of his time enclosed within its metal confines; his taciturn nature serves as a form of protection in an environment where even the smallest mistake can have catastrophic consequences.

It’s also worth noting that The Driver is constantly seeking to break free of his criminal past, yet he’s also unable to escape it entirely. The film echoes Alan Ladd’s 1953 classic Western Shane, with the Driver playing a similar role as the hero who attempts to save a family from black-hat henchmen but is ultimately dragged back into violence by his own demons.

Another aspect that makes Drive rewarding as a piece of storytelling is the way it uses characters like Bernie and Nino to illustrate The Driver’s struggle with his criminal lifestyle. These characters are powerfully compelling, but they’re not likable in the traditional sense. They’re brutal and violent, but they’re also sexy, ruthless, and intelligent.

Unfortunately, many of the film’s other mobster characters aren’t as engrossing. Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola have set the bar pretty high in terms of presenting realistic mobster characters, so the cookie-cutter villains in Drive come off as a bit flat and uninteresting.

However, the film’s most fascinating character is the sexy and menacing Irene. The Driver’s relationship with her is primarily nonverbal and focuses on pure, unadulterated longing. During the scene in which they’re trapped together in an elevator, the film achieves a level of heightened cinematic reality that’s simultaneously sexy, disturbing, and terrifying. It’s a sequence that stands out as one of the most memorable in recent cinema.
Read More: https://www.gg-series.com/only-for-love-2023.html