Drive (2011)

Drive is another Nicolas Winding Refn movie starring Ryan Gosling having score by Cliff Martinez. In many ways it looks. sounds and feels like Only God Forgives. Main difference being location and lack of being edgy for sake of being edgy. Drive is the movie almost always mentioned when talking about Nicolas Winding Refn. How ever I like Only God Forgives more.

Ryan Gosling plays almost same character with almost same story arch in both. He is someone without personality who is drawn into a mess without his own fault. He is nice guy but also a criminal. He don't feel like being criminal but doesn't resist too much. Some kind of honor code draws him into mess where people get hurt.

Just like in Only God Forgives first half hour feel like nothing is happening. It might be even longer before story really starts. Nicolas Winding Refn like to spend time building set up and then trash it down. Everything looks and sound good. Story and characters lack something.

I can't say if this is good movie or not. It is easy to praise because it looks and sounds so good. I would liked Drive more if I had not seen Only God Forgives before it. Only God Forgives did everything better. Why Drive is the Nicolas Winding Refn movie instead of Only God Forgives? Probably because it came first and Only God Forgives has more Asian movie feeling and story arc.