Drive: A Review Twofer

As in two for one.  I recently acquired both the Blu-Ray and the soundtrack for this film.

By the way, if I refer to something as a film, I am implying a certain level of quality evidenced therein.  Casablanca, for instance, is a film.

When I refer to something as a movie, this is an indication that it meets the core requirements of the definition.  Things like running times, actors that play characters, theatrical or video releases and so on.  Transformers is, by these very basic set of standards, a movie.

Drive was recommended to me by my brother. When it comes to entertainment, our tastes line up about 95% of the time.  I missed out on the theatrical run (as is usually the case) and instead borrowed my brother's copy after he bought it (and later bought my own copy).  Onward to the review *mild spoilers*

Part 1: The Film
I wasn't one hundred percent sure exactly what this movie was about, though I was able to ascertain the basic gist from the title.  Looking at the cover, there's a guy in an awesome jacket, holding a hammer and walking away from a car.  This tells me 3 very important things about the movie:

1. The main character is going to be an archetype of some sort
2. The entire movie is not spent inside of a car, driving.  Other stuff happens
3. Violence shall, at some point, ensue

Drive begins with one the most unique and memorable chases scenes I've ever seen.  It's shot almost entirely from an interior perspective and with no dialogue.  The excitement of the chase is conveyed though the sounds of the engine.  The music adds a layer of tension.  The look on The Driver's face suggests cold and determined professionalism in the face of danger, while his passengers appear nervous or frightened.

After the chase, the opening credits role and we are treated to the song Nightcall by Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx (follow the link, listen.  I challenge your head to remain stationary for the duration).  More on the music in the second part.

In the next 20 minutes or so, we gather about as much information about the characters as we need, which is good because it's about all we get.  When our main character isn't a wheel-man or getaway driver, he's working as a part-time Hollywood stunt driver and part-time garage mechanic.  He's quiet.  We never learn his name. He lives alone in the sparsest of apartments (perhaps an analog of the character, hmm?) and he is chivalrous.

When the woman next door needs help, he steps in and does what any good person would do.  When things take a turn and the plot delves into darkness, his alter-ego steps up and does what any ruthless and effective person would do.  As the audience, you are rooting for both personas.  They feel entwined more than they feel separate.  A person can be a knight in shining armor and a callous brute.  You believe it.

Since I want to avoid any major spoilers, I'm going to use some broad strokes to describe the remainder of the film.  There is little dialogue, so when someone speaks it's important.  Mood is conveyed through music and facial expression.  The violence comes in waves, is minimal yet brutally realistic.  Tension builds slowly, like a bowstring slowly being drawn before the arrow is finally shot.

Some have complained that Drive was both slow and boring.  While it may lack the flash and pizzazz of your typical Hollywood blockbuster, it makes it up with rich storytelling, beautiful cinematography and deliberate pacing.  In other words, it's not Fast & Furious.  If that's the kind of thing you are expecting, you will indeed be disappointed.

One review refers to Drive as a modern day fairy tale.  I dig that analogy.  It fits much better than any other label I can think of.  Bottom line, this is an action movie that defies the stereotype.  Or is it a slow-boiling thriller?  Maybe both.  Whatever the case, I highly recommend this film.  It's and instant classic.  There, that's the title I was looking for.

Part 2: The Soundtrack

I am on record stating that "movies have soundtracks, films have scores".  This is typically the case, but then it would figure that Drive would be one of the exceptions to my rule.  This is a soundtrack.

That majority of the album, fifteen out of  nineteen tracks, are instrumental.  Of those fifteen, all but one are scored by Cliff Martinez.  These tracks are all about mood and feel.

The remaining instrumental is called Tick Of The Clock, by Chromatics.  I love this track!  It's the song that is playing during the opening chase and is all about suspense and determination.  I like to play it while driving in my 2001 Honda Accord with both hands on the wheel and an icy stare on my face.

Of the remaining four tracks, three are extremely catchy and have a retro 80's vibe going on.  I already linked to Nightcall, so here are the other two:

Under Your Spell by Desire
A Real Hero by College (Featuring Electric Youth)

The remaining track is absolutely appropriate for the moment in the film, otherwise it stands out completely from the rest of this soundtrack.  Have a listen, but avoid a look as the video shows a lot of scenes from the film.  By the way, the song is called Oh My Love by Riz Ortolani feat. Katyna Ranieri.

It is quite needless to say that this film and its accompanying soundtrack made quite an impression on me.  It's worth mentioning that I am a soundtrack nerd, especially when it comes to films that I connect with (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Lord of The Rings etc).  I also love an awesome score even if the movie wasn't great.  Tron Legacy's score would be just such an example.

With this in mind, I recommend this soundtrack to my fellow soundtrack nerds out there.  To everyone else, grab the first three tracks from iTunes or Amazon and enjoy!