Drive

I actually saw this movie a few weeks ago, but I have been putting of writing my review because I have no idea what to say.  This is a movie that completely defies description - no matter what you think it will be about, you are wrong.  Yes, it is about a Hollywood stunt driver (Ryan Gosling) who also works as a wheel man for the criminal element.  Yes, there is a hit put on him after a job gone wrong, and yes, he has a relationship with his married neighbor (Carey Mulligan).  But none of that is the movie.

The movie itself is almost like being in a trance.  Imagine driving along the highway with your favorite song on the radio and the perfect breeze blowing through the window; when you just lose yourself in the rhythm of the road, and your mind goes blank as if you were flying, no worries, no thoughts of your destination.  That is how this movie captivates you.  There is very little dialogue, especially by the main character, and while you never get to know him, you are still drawn to his magnetism and confidence.  The love story features no witty banter, or sizzling sex scenes, and yet with only a few bittersweet glances and a single kiss manages to be more about love and romance than most movies.

Now imagine your perfect Sunday drive interrupted by a tractor trailer plowing into a guardrail in front of you.  the violence in this film is sudden, shocking, and incredibly realistic (read: graphic).  It is not overtly gory for the sake of titillation, but the raw intensity coming after such silence is incredibly powerful.

The acting in the movie is really good - Bryant Cranston and Albert Brooks round out the cast as a washed up driver trying to get back in the game and a criminal kingpin respectively, but in truth the emotional center of the movie lies with Gosling and Mulligan.  I can't think of another actor that can as effectively manifest internal emotions without externally revealing a thing.  These two are true talents, and without them this exceptional, indescribable film just wouldn't have been the same.

I don't know if you'll like it, but without a doubt you should go see Drive.  I loved it.  (and the music is great)

Drive 1hr 40 min R

Reel Steel

Reel Steel is pretty much everything you'd expect from the previews:  absentee father reluctantly connecting with his smartass, but sweet kid.  Uplifting underdog story a la the little engine that could.  Giant robots smashing each other to bits.  But formulaic or predictable as it might be, that isn't to say it isn't highly enjoyable fun.  After all, these are formulas Hollywood is pretty good at.  You may have your doubts, but I guarantee that you'll find yourself verklempt a time or two, and damn if you won't be on the edge of your seat hoping for the little guy to win the big fight.

Hugh Jackman is pitch perfect as always - although his character is such a jerk and it's kind of hard to see him as a total ass because come on, we all know the guy has a heart of gold.  Dakota Goyo is great as the son, bonding with a father he's never met as well as a 10 foot tall metal robot.  Over all, highly enjoyable film that will hit your soft spots and leave you cheering.

here's a little clip:




Reel Steel 2hr 7min PG-13*

*The movie is rated PG-13, but I think it could have easily been a PG, and younger kids shouldn't have any problem seeing it.  Except for one short scene where a few punches are thrown, there is no violence (other than the boxing robots of course), and no bad language that I remember.  My theater had tons of little kids, and none of them left emotionally scarred.  I'd probably let my kids see it on DVD when it comes out.

The Ides Of March

There are a lot of directions this movie could have taken as a political drama.  It could have explored the climate of modern day politics and how even the most sincere, straightforward candidate is forced to continually make compromises until they no longer recognize themselves.  It could have focused on the campaign managers, for whom the candidate and the platform hardly even matter as anything other than leverage to win votes.  Or it could have followed the disillusionment of a seasoned campaign manager, who has finally found a candidate he believes in, only to discover he is as black hearted as the rest of them.  Any of these story lines could have pulled us in to The Ides of March, and delivered us an emotional, thoughtful film.  Instead we get all three.

Unfortunately, in some ways this spreads the focus of the film too thin.  We have a young political up and comer (Ryan Gosling), who thinks he can finally leave the usual dirty dealing behind because he has found a truly deserving candidate to lift into office, only to find himself caught in a maelstrom of double crosses and cover ups.  We have a candidate (George Clooney who also directed) learning that the compromises required to win are slowly chipping away at every principle he promised to stand on.  We have two campaign managers (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti) who care nothing for the truth, or ethics, or the people trampled underfoot on the race for the win.  Each and every character arc is riveting, and unfortunately under explored.  There is so much drama just ripe for the picking here in each man's personal struggle with morality (or lack there of) and the eternal question of the ends justifying the means - if you do whatever it takes just to win, can you ever regain your sense of right and wrong?


This movie could have easily plumbed these depths and been twice as long, and just as riveting.  Unfortunately, the story line itself was entirely predictable, and severely undercut the skill of the cast (seriously - phenomenal cast) as well as the richness of the characters.  I wish the script had served the people involved (both real and fictional) a little better, because this would have been an exceptional vehicle for discussion on power, ambition, loyalty and black vs white.  Instead we are shown no surprises, taught no lessons, and everyone is painted the same shade of gray.


Worth seeing for the tremendous cast and fine acting, this is a case of a fine movie that nonetheless disappoints because it could have been great.

The Ides Of March 1hr 41 min R