Title: Drive Director: Nicolas Winding Refn Starring: Ryan Gosling Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Studio: FilmDistrict Genre(s): Drama Rated:       (For strong brutal bloody violence, language and some nudity)

CONSUMER ADVICE

Parents, there is a shocking amount violence and some sexual content. Recommended for ages 17 and up.

Watching the movie “Drive” is like watching a new artist painting a masterpiece. It may not be perfect, but it takes your breath away nonetheless. Originally planned as a summer blockbuster, the studio must have realized the finicky summer crowd would reject this smart film and instead decided to release it as an independent film. Good choice. It demonstrates that a studio still understands its own product once in a while.

The film stars Ryan Gosling as a man simply known as Driver. He makes a living driving people around. “You've got me for the first five minutes,’ he explains to his clients. “Anything happens during that time I've with you all the way...after that, you're on your own.” He is a man of few words, but his face conveys his emotions perfectly. Sometimes the less said the more you can understand someone. Though he drives for a living, it's clear that he sees it more as a means to an end than something he actually enjoys doing.

The little bit of happiness Driver seems to enjoy comes from his neighbors; a woman named Irene (Carey Mulligan) whose husband is in jail for a crime he committed, and her young son, Benicio. Things get complicated when Irene's husband is released from jail. He truly appears to be a changed man, but his past comes back to haunt him so that living in peace with his family just won't work. Driver agrees to help him get out of his situation, and that's when things go wrong.

From this point you may have deducted that this is a heist movie gone wrong. It is and it isn't. The characters aren't one dimensional or stereotypical. Irene's husband may not be a saint, but it’s clear that when he says he's happy for a second chance he means it. Driver doesn't necessarily care for Irene's husband but he'll help if it means his family will be safe. Again, Gosling expresses these emotions largely through facial expressions rather than words. If Vin Diesel or another action star had played this part, viewers would have mistaken the silent treatment as a sign the character is a tough man when he's really vulnerable and cautious. He's the most sympathetic character in an action movie I've seen in a while. The city is also a character unto itself, glowing with personality at night, as Driver maneuvers skillfully through colorful areas while listening to haunting music.

Albert Brooks gives a great performance as Bernie Rose, a crime lord who gets personally involved in the botched heist Driver has found himself in. Not only is this a terrifying performance, but Bernie’s unique character takes control of the situation, not out of spite, but because the circumstances have given him no choice. “I only get personally involved when my back is against the wall like it is now,” he explains to a man he is about to kill. When the Oscar nominations are announced, do not be surprised if several of these actors are included.

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn a Danish director, whose films include "Valhalla Rising", "Bronson", and "The Pusher Trilogy" among others, is directed with a subdued artistic flair that is contemplative and mesmerizing. I tried thinking about other directors taking on this project, and all I can see is exaggerated action sequences and buff Australian actors with English accents. The advertisements may be touting this as an action film, but it’s really an artistic character drama with some brief but excellent sequences of violence. Despite what the generic title would have you believe, “Drive” is one of the years’ best films and a unique accomplishment. If only all heist movies were as good.