Why Did this superbly-acted, technical Achievement ultimately fail with general audiences?

By: Keaton Marcus

Nicolas Winding Refn, a Danish director who made his bones with Bronson and Valhalla Rising, had his breakout movie when he made Drive in 2011. Starring Ryan Gosling and about a stunt driver being pulled into the aftermath of a heist gone wrong, critics absolutely loved the film, and it currently holds a 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating. In contrast to this, audiences took a more careful approach, with CinemaScore reporting a mediocre C- rating at the time of its release. After finally viewing it, I’m here to give my honest opinion of a film that was hammered by mis-marketing to the average moviegoer.

Right from the brilliantly shot and edited opening sequence, we’re introduced to “The Driver”, portrayed flawlessly by Gosling, who takes a slow ride down the especially dazzling backdrop of Los Angeles. This setting is used in many films, but the beauty of these popular cities are really taken for granted, and Refn makes full usage of it to set the scene. We quickly learn that he is a stunt driver for Hollywood, and lives a seemingly quiet and innocent life. However, he then meets Irene (Carrey Mulligan) and her son Benecio. Immediately, his facial expression changes from generally blank and uninterested to a heartwarming, childish smile. We learn that Irene’s husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), is in jail and will get out in the meantime. He slowly gets more and more comfortable around Irene and Benecio, and the three characters grow an almost unbreakable friendship. Standard is then released, and introduced to Gosling’s character in an uncomfortable sequence. Immediately we know that these two can’t live in the same world because of the Driver’s newfound love for his wife. As our protagonist finds out that Standard owes crime lords Nino (Ron Perlman) and Bernie (Albert Rose) money, he’s pulled into a heist, motivated by keeping Irene and Benecio safe from harm.

Refn crafts this character gorgeously with his smart script, and Newton Thomas Sigel’s brilliant cinematography. From the subtle facial expressions from a perfectly cast Gosling, to the scorpion symbol on his jacket that expertly foreshadows to the end, and the rocky road to redemption, I was invested in every moment he was in. This is a deeply troubled man, and as he’s pulled deeper and deeper into committing brutal murders to save himself along with others, we see the slight changes in Gosling’s face indicating that he’s realized the extent of brutality. Although audiences don’t see him as a role model of any kind, he clearly desires redemption from his past sins, and wants to live a better life, perhaps with Irene. This is a character that has easily recognizable flaws as well as evoking sympathy from viewers, which is a rare achievement. In terms of other performances, Bryan Cranston is fantastic as usual portraying Shannon (Bryan Cranston), who’s The Driver’s boss. He’s a clear coward who basically ruins Gosling’s chances with Irene after telling Perlman’s character about her and Benecio, and although I despised him, I also kept in mind that this was due to Refn’s superb direction. Ron Perlman, Oscar Isaac and Albert Rose are all very solid in their supporting roles, and even the bad guys get some much-needed character development.

There’s great performances, the cinematography is top-notch, and all other technical aspects were absolutely immaculate, so what went wrong with the average ticket buyer? Trailers marketed this movie as an action-packed thrill ride recalling Fast & Furious with lots of fast cars, chases, and the attractive Ryan Gosling leading the thing. However, this is definitely not the type of film for someone who can’t appreciate anything else but big explosions. When the violence hits, it really goes all-out, and the action is still expertly crafted. The thing is, there are only about three of them, unlike what the general public were expecting. People who could see beyond fulfilling their constant action-heavy needs just stared in awe at the masterpiece that this was, but unfortunately, this isn’t the majority. That’s a major issue with action films and marketing today. The studio tried to make this a mainstream film, and that just didn’t work because it’s much more than that. It may seem tedious, pretentious and flat-out boring to the average filmgoer, but to me, that criticism isn’t really valid. Why? Because it is an experience that makes viewers think about more than excitement, riddled with hidden meanings that make for perfect analysis fuel. It’s arthouse cinema with touches of action at its utter finest, complete with several Oscar-worthy elements that were sadly snubbed, and if you can’t live with that, don’t see it.