evil bill
Posts: 6560
Joined: 19/7/2006
From: mordor/ uk
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This is no Fast and Furious action/road film,no this is a slow burner,yet gripping 80's style heist thriller,that in it's first half,borrows heavily from Michael Mann's visual display in Heat.And that super cool cinematography and atmosphere,is helped by one hell of a 80s inspired synthesizer haunting soundtrack.But by the second half we feel we are watching a Gasper Noe film with it's hardcore ultra violence,which is done in some scenes in chillingly slow mo,and gives it a very realistic raw feel,that in the hands of a lesser director would look out of place.But Nicolas Winding Refn(Bronson,Valhalla Rising) knows how to tell a story,and for his first Hollywood backed film,this is a superb all engrossing entry into mainstream??,though to be honest this is far more Arthouse.
On a massive plus side,there is an outstanding,haunting performance from Ryan Gosling (Fracture,The Notebook),as Driver who we are kept in the dark of where he came from,and what are his character Driver's capabilities.He seems to be to quiet,and though we learn right away he's smart,and one hell of a driver,we still feel he's getting in to deep.But as the film becomes darker we see Driver can stand up to the thugs,and is more than capable of dealing out violence also.In a way it reminded me of History Of Violence,where the quiet man,is badly misjudged by killers,and turn's the tables on them,yet we know this is not where he wants to be.Or is it that Driver also has a darker past than what is first suggested,or like Travis in Taxi Driver,is he just some guy that you dare not push to close to the flame.This whole untold story is never explained,and again this works as you are pulled deeper into the film,and never feel you need some flashback moments to spoil the fun.
Also Carey Mulligan as the his neighbor Irene is perfect in her role,as a mother of a young child,who's husband has got them in serious debt and danger.She plays the damsel in distress,without it feeling ham,and also she is a woman who finds love but knows it can never be,and this deep sadness is etched on her face from the moment Driver comes into her life.This is top notch acting,with even more great acting added to this mix,like Albert Brooks playing against type as a cutthroat crime lord,in what has to be one of his best roles,and Ron Perlman who plays his butthead psycho partner,who is driven by greed,and also hates the Family?.And they are just the main actors,the kid,the employer and a few others that have little to no screen time,are also a big part of a brilliant cast.
Be warned as i said earlier this is a full on 18 cert,when the violence kicks in,it is very stylized but full on brutal,with a girl having her head blown off with a shot gun,and a guy having his head kicked in big time.Some might feel it's goes to far in scenes like these,but for my money the whole story leads to this point of no return,where men of violence don't give a shit who they kill or hurt.Where only in the end there's no real happy endings for those caught up in extreme violence,and where the the law of the street is all to powerful.This film ends on a low note make no mistake,yet you know in your heart Driver had no choice in the end,and the same goes for the director,and so we have a classic spellbinding film aimed at adults.
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"You listen to me now,i will find you and i will kill you!"
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RE: Brutal, beautiful, brilliant. - 
RE: Best film of 2011 (although I haven't seen Warrior ... - 
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