Underplayed Gems

Drive (2011)

Drive poster
Directed by
Nicolas Winding Refn
Genre
drama film, crime film, neo-noir, thriller film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 40m
Rated
R
Rating
7.6 of 10 from 13,742 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A Hollywood stunt driver who works as a getaway driver at night gets involved with his neighbor Irene and her young son. When her husband returns from prison and needs help with a heist, things go wrong and everyone's lives are put in danger.

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What happens

Drive is a 2011 American neo-noir action drama film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The screenplay, written by Hossein Amini, is based on James Sallis's 2005 novel. The film stars Ryan Gosling as an unnamed Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver. He quickly grows fond of his neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son, Benicio. When her debt-ridden husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), is released from prison, the two men take part in what turns out to be a failed million-dollar heist that endangers the lives of everyone involved. The film co-stars Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Christina Hendricks, and Ron Perlman. Producers Marc Platt and Adam Siegel optioned the source novel after Siegel read a review from Publishers Weekly. Adapting the book proved to be challenging for Amini, as it had a nonlinear narrative. Gosling, one of Platt's top casting choices, eventually signed on for the lead, as he wanted to star in an action-oriented project. Gosling played a pivotal role in the film's production, which included hiring Refn as director and Beth Mickle as production designer. Newton Thomas Sigel oversaw the principal photography, which started on September 25, 2010, was shot on location in Los Angeles, and ended on November 12. Before its September 2011 release, Drive had been shown at the 64th Cannes Film Festival, earning Refn the Best Director Award. The film was praised for its direction, cinematography, performances (particularly Gosling and Brooks's), visuals, action sequences, and musical score; however, some critics were appalled by its graphic violence and found it to be potentially detrimental to the film's box office success. Nonetheless, the film was still a commercial success, grossing over $81 million against a production budget of $15 million. Several critics listed Drive as one of the best films of 2011, including the National Board of Review. Its accolades include a nomination for Best Sound Editing at the 84th Academy Awards. The film has garnered a cult following since release. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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