DRIVE

     RYAN GOSLING  CAREY MULLIGAN  BRYAN CRANSTON  ALBERT BROOKS
     RON PERLMAN  OSCAR ISAAC

DRIVER (GOSLING) WORKS AS A MECHANIC AND A HOLLYWOOD STUNT DRIVER.  IN HIS SPARE TIME, HE DRIVES GETAWAY CARS FOR CRIMINALS.  ONE DAY HE MEETS IRENE (MULLIGAN) AND THEY START A FRIENDSHIP UNTIL IRENE'S HUSBAND STANDARD (ISAAC) GETS OUT OF JAIL AND RETURNS HOME.  DRIVER'S BOSS (CRANSTON) IS INVOLVED WITH SOME LOW LIFE HOODS (BROOKS AND PERLMAN) AND WHEN DRIVER DECIDES TO HELP OUT STANDARD WITH A HEIST, THINGS GO BAD AND AT THE CENTER ARE THE TWO HOODS.
THIS IS A MOVIE YOU WILL EITHER LOVE OR HATE.  FOR ME, I DISLIKED IT MORE THAN LIKING IT.  DRIVER IS A CHARACTER OF VERY LITTLE WORDS AND EMOTIONS -- IN FACT THROUGH THE FIRST HOUR I DON'T THINK HIS FACIAL EXPRESSION CHANGED -- IT WAS PRETTY MUCH A BLANK STARE.  PERHAPS THE DIRECTOR WAS TRYING TO MAKE DRIVER A DEEPLY MYSTERIOUS CHARACTER, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK.  IT JUST MADE DRIVER BORING AND UNINTERESTING.  THEN, THERE ARE SEVERAL SUB PLOTS ALONG THE WAY WHICH DISTRACT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, AND SOME MAJOR STORY PROBLEMS, THE MAJOR ONE BEING WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD IRENE LET DRIVER NEAR HER SON WHEN SHE DOESN'T KNOW HIM AND HE ACTS LIKE SOME SORT OF ROBOT.  I FOUND THIS VERY DISTURBING.  THERE ARE TWO CAR CHASE SCENES WHICH ARE DONE VERY WELL BUT NOT VERY EXCITING, AND THEN ONE SCENE WHERE A CAR GETS KNOCKED OFF A CLIFF AND THE WAY IT HAPPENS I DON'T THINK IS POSSIBLE.  FINALLY THE VIOLENCE: IT COMES QUICKLY AND IS VERY BLOODY -- SHOTGUNS, KNIVES AND HAMMERS AMONG OTHER ITEMS ARE USED.  CHECK IT OUT, YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH ME, AND THAT WOULD BE GREAT SINCE IT WOULD MEAN YOU ENJOYED WATCHING IT.
RATING  2.5 OUT OF 5