
Drive is a fantastic movie. I've seen most of the "film of the year" considerations for 2011 (including A Separation, 50/50, Water for Elephants, and The Another Earth) but Drive really takes the cake for me.
Everything in Drive is so memorable, and for me that's rare in films today (aside from comedies). I'll be quoting "want a toothpick?" and "my hands are a little dirty" for a long time after seeing this film. The characters themselves are all so cliche, but in a way that's obviously intentional and memorable. The actors all play into the mob-boss, out-of-jail husband, shy neighbor, and sensitive nice-guy stereotype characters the movie creates, and I love all of it.
The movie's plot itself is a bit of a mystery. In the first ten minutes, the audience is led to believe they're watching a mainstream action flick with get-away driving scenes and criminal protagonists. As the film progresses toward the middle, though, the focus turns Drive into a film about romance and desire despite the situation, which heavy emphasis on subtext rather than words to describe Ryan Gosling's feelings for his new neighbor and her son. Then, when you think you've figured the movie out, it gets flipped on it's head and suddenly it's all about revenge and anger, featuring some ultra-violent fights and murders that are far from the usual light-hearted karate-fights of mainstream action films. And then at the end, the focus is moved back to Gosling and his neighbor, and what really caring about someone means.
I've only watched this movie three times, but I really feel good about calling it my favorite film of 2011 already. I already pre-ordered my BluRay copy and am excited about seeing the director's cut version. I've only seen Ryan Gosling in this, The Notebook, and Blue Valentine, but I assure you I'll be watching out for him in future films from here on.
In short, I really love this movie, and you should definitely either torrent it now, or wait for it's late-January Blu Ray and DVD release.