What Do The Critics Say?

"Stylishly shot by Newton Thomas Sigel, who captures the spread out nature of this Los Angeles story and astutely directed by Danish-born Nicolas Winding Refn, who shocks by unexpectedly thrusting violence when we least expect it. I like the fact that there are many aspects to the characters, most of all Driver and Gosling masterfully creates a lasting impression." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE "Amini puts the brakes on Refn's most violent tendencies and lets the romance between Irene and the Driver steer the action in a slightly different direction, toward vulnerability. The short, lilting scenes of tenderness give Drive a dimension that only heightens the explosions that are sure to follow. That rarity of rarities, an arty actioner that requires almost no excuses." Kelly Vance EAST BAY EXPRESS "Already a winner at The Cannes Film Festival, Drive is now generating hacksaw-like buzz, and is without a doubt one of this year's most original, entertaining and frankly shocking American movies. With its offbeat characters, jarring jolts of shocking violence, and labyrinthine but accessible plotting, Drive is a real stand-alone - in an often moribund American cinematic landscape, it feels loopily, dangerously, and wonderfully alive." Erin Free FILMINK

"There are several other elements that make this a fascinating, gripping film, bloody at times, and brutal about human nature. One of those elements is the outstanding score by Cliff Martinez, delivering energy and helping to maintain the film's eerily steady mood and pace. Another is Newton Thomas Sigel's fine cinematography, as stylish as it is accessible." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE "Gathering buzz (and awards) at film festivals across the world, Drive is one of director Nicolas Winding Refn first pictures to hit release under some serious weight of expectation, and delightfully, it hits every mark. The film treats the audience with intelligence; it doesn't lay everything out and instead leaves you to do a little legwork too. Sam Bathe FAN THE FIRE "One of the highlights of my Toronto Film Festival experience was a 'Super Saturday' of amazing films. It culminated with a 9pm screening of Drive is a cinema filled with more than 1,000 people. Oh, and stars Ryan Gosling, Albert Brooks and Bryan Cranston were in attendance. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day. I can’t fault the film’s style. This film is cool!" Matthew Toomey ABC RADIO BRISBANE

The Inside Story Director Nicolas Winding Refn has been a major figure on the international film circuit since making his debut at the age of twenty four with the gritty 1996 gangster pic "Pusher". In its technically brilliant and tonally sophisticated mix of black comedy, high tragedy and viscerally effective action, "Pusher" not only initiated a landmark trilogy in the crime genre: a franchise currently being remade in English by Vertigo Films; it also showcased the singular vision of Denmark's biggest break-out success since Lars von Trier. Refn's international reputation has since been buoyed by the critical acclaim and cult following that came in the wake of U.K. crossovers "Bronson", a bare-knuckled, convention-busting biopic of the infamous English criminal Charlie Bronson, which spotlighted a brilliant performance by Tom Hardy in the title role; and "Valhalla Rising", a muddy, bloody Medieval epic elevated to the level of religious art. Based on Refn's past achievements, Ryan Gosling ("Fracture") approached the director about a forthcoming adaptation of James Sallis' pared down, page-turning pulp novel "Drive". Refn thought that the novel's Los Angeles setting and stunt-driver story line made for a particularly cinematic scenario, and he appreciated Sallis' breakneck narrative economy and signature brand of noir-ish existentialism shaded with sardonic humor. In the figure of the book's nameless protagonist (known only as Driver), the director saw an opportunity to simultaneously deepen his dramatic interests and dramatically expand his audience. "Driver flows into characters I put together for "Bronson" and "Valhalla Rising". These larger-than-life, ambiguously god-like figures. I'm very interested in the dark side of heroism, how that unstoppable drive and righteous adherence to a code above the average person's can shade into something that is quite psychotic," Refn elaborted. Though Ryan Gosling's early successes as a child actor and a breakout role in the 2004 Nick Cassavetes film "The Notebook" had made him an extremely bankable talent, the actor has repeatedly eschewed conventionally commercial projects in favor of emotionally and technically demanding roles. "I was really intrigued by the role of Driver because the performance demanded this very complex dramatic counterpoint," the 2006 NBR Award winner for "Half Nelson" explained. "On the one hand, he's really self-contained, really laconic. There's an economy of movement in the way he carries himself, an economy of words in the way he speaks. He keeps his cards close to his chest and there's an almost poker-faced inscrutability to his reactions. All of which ties into his character, because this is the kind of mechanical self-control he achieves in the flow-situation of driving." "Ryan is a real rarity. He has the charisma and good looks of a leading man and the gravity of a Method-trained, master class performer. For the role of Driver, the film needed an actor who could convey the explosive violence and emotional loneliness of that lone-wolf character, yet also make his personal transformation through love authentic and believable. Few movie stars have that range," Refn notes, adding:, "Ryan is one of them." For the role of Irene, the object of Driver's affection, Refn cast 2010 Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan ("An Education"). Mulligan had been a fan of "Bronson" and "Valhalla Rising" and had even mentioned to her agent that she wanted to work with a director like Refn, but it was only after she expressed interest in the script that she learned who was helming the project. Mulligan's enthusiasm was matched by Refn's, who immediately ordered small rewrites of Irene's backstory so he could cast Mulligan. And what was it that drew the 2009 & '10 British Independent Film Award winning Carey Mulligan ("An Education" & "Never Let Me Go") to the role? "Irene's character was a challenge because she's really the pivot point for the film's secondary plot, which is literally about the love triangle between her, Driver and Irene’s husband Standard but dramatically is about where they'll all end up in the most meaningful sense. And it's not an easy decision for her! Driver certainly seems like Irene's knight in shining armor, but Standard is drawn very sympathetically, as someone who's made mistakes but is genuinely trying to turn his life around. Plus she has loved him since she was seventeen! So to be able to play those two impulses off of one another, especially after Standard and Driver form an uneasy alliance, gave me so much to work with." "Since I was a teenager, I've been a big fan of "Sixteen Candles". I've always wanted to remake that film one way or another," Refn revealed, "and, in a very unlikely way, I've done that in "Drive". Carey has all the intelligence and charm of a young Molly Ringwald. The romantic scenes she has with Ryan make for a very delicate and beautiful contrast to the brutality in the rest of the film." 2009 Australian Film Institute Award winner Oscar Isaac ("Balibo"), one of Hollywood's hottest up and coming headliners), was chosen for the role of Irene's ex-convict husband Standard Guzman. A classically trained Juiliard Graduate who first gained attention for his Shakespearean stage performances, Isaac broke through to mass-audience awareness with his villainous turn as King John in Ridley Scott's 2010 prequel "Robin Hood". Vanity Fair called that performance a "spotlight stealing" act, but Isaac likes to think of himself as a team player. "Drive has such an amazing ensemble cast that it really humbled me to be a part of it. Ryan and Carey have such chemistry on screen, there are times I found myself thinking, 'Heck, I'd dump me for Ryan too!' And you probably could have guessed this, but Ron Perlman and Al Brooks are two of the funniest guys I've ever met. Watching them weave that humour into serious dramatic performances taught me a lot." With his gravelly Brooklyn accent and unmistakable mug, 2009 Fangoria Chainsaw Award winner, Perlman ("Hellboy 2: The Golden Army"), was practically born to play the outsized, flamboyant and hot-headed, crime boss Nino. "I'm not gonna pretend that Nino wasn't a blast to play. I come into every scene chewing the scenery up and spitting it out, riffing on four-letter profanities like they're guitar solos! And not just because I'm hamming it up, but because that's the character! It's called acting! And Nic really gives you the space to improvise and have fun with it, to really sell it, you know? As a performer I love that." Perlman's character makes for a dramatic contrast with Albert Brooks's deceptively friendly and low-key criminal Bernie Rose, whose outwardly harmless exterior conceals a deadly ruthlessness. "Playing opposite Ron was a lot of fun, because our performances are on wavelengths that are as different as our characters," Brooks ("Out of Sight") explained. "In the past I've played a lot of neurotic, nebbish types smaller than life characters, so to speak. Casting me as a criminal heavy might initially seem like a conceptual joke, you know? And that's how Nic and I decided to play it at first, as if Bernie were Nino's smarter yet softer, weaker counterpart. But Bernie's character sneaks up on you. You don't realize how deadly he is until he's already slipped the shank in your side. The challenge of suggesting that underlying menace without playing the subtext in a really obvious way appealed to me." The character of Shannon: Driver's one-man mechanic, agent and manager (as well as the closest thing he has to a friend) went to Bryan Cranston, who first gained a cult following through his recurring roles on sitcoms like "Seinfeld", "The King of Queens" and "How I Met Your Mother". Cranston's career took a turn towards more serious dramatic work with the starring role of Walter White in the critically acclaimed cable drama "Breaking Bad", a performance for which he received three Emmy Awards (2008, '09 & '10). "One of the things I love about classical film noir, which "Drive" is similar to in a lot of ways, is how unforgettably vivid the supporting roles could be. Writers and directors would tuck these amazing little character studies into the margins of the film—figures who weren't necessarily heroic, or sympathetic, or even likable—and they'd cast the roles with distinctive character actors who made the scenes come alive. That's how I saw Shannon: he's this big dreamer who's come up short, someone whom Life has literally crippled, and his pathetic desperation is palpable in even his happiest scenes. I think the role as written is such an amazing little miniature, I loved tackling it." Recently named 'Sexiest Woman in the World' by Esquire Magazine, Christina Hendricks is best known for her role as Joan Halloway on SBS's "Mad Men". The iconically bold, brainy and busty character Hendricks created with Joan made her a natural to play Blanche, a flame-haired femme fatale who accompanies Driver on one of his heists. "I just loved that role," an enthusiastic Hendricks (Allison Henderson in "I Don't Know How She Does It") offered. "Blanche seems so feminine and supple soft on the outside, but underneath she is as tough as nails. As soon as I got into wardrobe and started strutting around the set in Blanche's stilettos, punctuating every sentence with a pop of my bubble gum, I knew exactly how I wanted to play her. And Nic was great; he just turned me loose and let me tear it up!" Gosling ("Lars and the Real Girl") says his character Driver "is literally psychotic, you know? A Travis Bickle, Taxi Driver-kind of character. Beneath all of that eerie outward calm, there is this reservoir of raging energy and hair-trigger violence. It's like when you're cruising in an automobile and the ride feels so smooth, so stable, so safe: then another car crosses your path. Bam! All that energy, all that mass times velocity momentum, is released in a flash of physical violence. And that's basically the character of Driver. He navigates around most obstacles with some very flawless trick-driving, literally and figuratively escaping without a scratch. But when the moment of impact unexpectedly arrives, it is violent and it physically slams you. The challenge is making the audience feel that tightly-coiled energy when Driver is ticking along as smoothly as a stopwatch." Brooks notes: "Bernie's carefully concealed but tightly-coiled violence is also what connects him to Drivers. There are similarities between Driver and Bernie that are really fascinating. Nic intuitively understands that in the best crime films, generally speaking, the hero and the villain are connected in a meaningful way: they have as much in common as they have differences. The affinities and parallels between the 'good guy' and the 'bad guy' are the means by which you explore more morally and psychologically complex material, elevating genre to the level of high drama." What makes this production even more interesting is Refn's confession. "I don't drive a car. I don't even have a license! But for me, there's a fetish element to cars I find very exciting. Not the particular brand or manufacture, per se, but the sounds of the engine and the felt speed." What's It All About?

By day he's is a movie stunt-driver. By night he steers getaway vehicles for armed heists. All he does is drive. He doesn't plan any of the heist details and he doesn't carry a gun. He gives his clients a five minute window to pull off their jobs and get back in the car. Five minutes: no more, no less. Though a loner by nature, Driver can’t help falling in love with his beautiful neighbor Irene, a vulnerable young mother dragged into a dangerous underworld by the return of her ex-convict husband Standard. After a heist intended to pay off Standard's protection money spins unpredictably out of control, Driver finds himself driving defense for the girl he loves, tailgated by a syndicate of deadly serious criminals. But when he realizes that the gangsters are after more than the bag of cash in his trunk, Driver is forced to shift gears, to go on the offense: to come up with a plan that will eliminate the opposition.

The Verdict "I was lucky enough to be given two opportunities to see Nicolas Winding Refn's latest film, "Drive". The first was at the official Media Launch. At the end of that screening, I would have loved to thank the distributor, but he was already swamped by a mass of people, all of whom were wanting to sing the praises of "Drive". My second opportunity came at the Adelaide premiere. This time my reation to the film was vastly different. This time around, "Drive" would send my senses into over-drive. Why? At the first screening, my total fascination with the characters (in particular the breathtaking chemistry between Driver and Irene), the massive excitement generated by the heists and chase scenes, the films brutal moments and the horror of 'that' elevator scene, had unfortunately, left little room to fully appreciate, the incredible soundtrack running in the background. Oh yes, I had 'heard' it, but now I had the opportunity, to fully appreciate: not only the magnificent contribution both the music and songs make to "Drive"; but more importantly, just how hard they drive the film. If I had thought the first screening was an edge of your seat experience, a second look was even better. I'm betting many will want to see this a second time. And despite the fact that there is 'that' elevator scene, I can tell readers, no-one walked out on this film. It's spell-binding. Hypnotic. And you won't be able to take your eyes off the screen. Very Entertaining. 5 STARS." Who Is Playing Who?

Ryan Gosling Carey Mulligan Bryan Cranston Albert Brooks Oscar Isaac Christina Hendricks Ron Perlman Kaden Leos Jeff Wolfe James Biberi Russ Tamblyn Joe Bucaro Tiara Parker im Trella Jimmy Hart

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Driver Irene Shannon Bernie Rose Standard Gabriel Blanche Nino Benicio Tan Suit Cook Doc Chauffeur Cindy Hitman #1 Hitman #2

The Production Team Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn Screenplay by Hossein Amini Adapted from the book by James Sallis Produced by Michel Litvak/John Palermo/Marc Platt/Gigi Pritzker/Adam Siegel Original Music by Cliff Martinez Director of Photography Newton Thomas Sigel Film Editing by Matthew Newman Casting by Mindy Marin Production Design by Beth Mickle Art Direction by Christopher Tandon Set Decoration by Lisa K. Sessions Costume Design by Erin Benach Makeup Department Head Gerald Quist Hair Department Head Medusah Production Manager Jim Behnke Production Supervisor Alice S. Kim Run Time 100 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2011 - Pinnacle Films/Film District - All Rights Reserved Enduring © - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian & International Copyright, Trademark Laws & Intellectual Property Rights.