"Drive" with Ryan Gosling was on television recently and the SO was watching it again! He loves the movie (well he mostly just loves Ryan Gosling, but still), me, I thought it was an exercise in trying too hard. I was unable to sit through any of it again, which was made easier since we were at home and not trapped in a movie theater where we paid good money to have our senses assaulted. Now I could just get up and go into the other room. For me, the movie still sucks and further viewing doesn't make it any better. It only reinforces my opinion that the director was trying too hard to be some kind of violent faux French existential bullshit arty thingy--think Truffaut with cartoon violence and an 80's synth soundtrack. If I have to drag a small kernel of something out of the movie I will say that Gosling does do no dialog brooding pretty well. But considering he's done it and a handful of pictures over the past few years I think it's time to move on. Anyway, in tribute to the television airing and my re-affirmation of suckiness, here is my original post about the movie. Enjoy!
This past weekend the SO and I had the opportunity to go to the movies and we decided to take in the new Ryan Gosling flick Drive. The SO is a big Gosling fan and I think most of that is because he thinks he's hot, which he kind of is, for a Canadian. Now the movie itself had gotten some big internet buzz, the director Nicolas Winding Refn won the Palme d'Or at Cannes for Best Director for this movie, hell even Rotten Tomatoes had the movie running at a 92% rating! Granted some of the reviews called the movie Europeanish, a patiently paced thriller, stylish to the point of insanity--and mind you these are the good reviews. Having been to a number of film festivals I probably should have taken heed of these types of key words that let you know just exactly what you are in for but we decided to throw caution to the wind and go anyway. I mean it couldn't be that bad if so many people seem to like it.
I guess the our first sign of trouble was when we got to the theater turns out the next showing was for what they call XD which they say means it's on a bigger screen and surround sound or something but what it really means is they are charging you $14.25 per person to see this movie! Outrageous, yes, had I know before we got there I would have said let's wait for the next regular showing but the SO was paying and so let it go. While he went to drop another bucket of cash on popcorn and soda I went to get seats. Now we were there 15 minutes before showtime but holy crap the theater was packed and the only two seats together I could find we closer to the screen than I normally like--basically my worst movie nightmare--a packed theater and bad seats. The SO however likes to sit closer than I so he was ok and kept telling me to "find a happy place." (because that is so me)
After literally 22 minutes of previews for other movies we will probably never see, the movie finally starts. Now the first 15 minutes are interesting as the set up for Gosling as a part-time getaway driver for criminals. The pacing is deliberate and in the beginning it works to set up tension as he evades the police and helps the thieves getaway. After that, well let's just say it goes downhill fast. After he leaves the crooks to themselves we see him driving around LA at night and this is when the credits start rolling over what I can only describe as bad 80's synth music. Even the titles and names appearing across the screen are done in purple cursive which is just a prelude to the whole movie devolving into what I can only describe as a bad 80's action movie with not a lot of action till the end. It's like the Danish director took an old Charles Bronson movie and remade it as an homage to those bad 80's action movies, but from where we were sitting it was not a good homage. From the over use of slo-mo, to the over use of shots of LA at night from the air, to the waaaayyy over use of synth music. I won't give away the plot here, you can always go to The Movie Spoiler for that. But I will say that there were long periods of no talking, brooding looks, cartoon violence, no back story about why he was a stunt driver by day and getaway driver by night, a kid, Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman!!! There were also at least 3 times during the movie that the audience actually laughed---and this was not a comedy. While the movie was only about 85 minutes it felt much longer, even the SO look at me and asked what time it was. And then--as the final insult--after some severe cartoon violence the movie just ends--like it's a fricking French movie--ugh!! I couldn't get out of the theater fast enough.
When I got home I checked online to see if the movie was making money and according to Box Office Mojo it took in about $11.3 million which is only so-so. But the interesting thing was that the Cinema Grade Score---the grade that actual audiences give a movie--was C-. So clearly there is some weird disconnect here between audiences and critics. Granted this happens every now and then but I have to say this is about as wide as I've ever seen. Who knows there is the possibility that this movie may become one of those cult type movies once it hits dvd kind of like how Scarface became really popular with rappers--who knows. My suggestion is if you really want to see it wait for the dvd and don't say you weren't warned. Otherwise, go see Ryan Goslings other movie that is out now Crazy Stupid Love--it is a good movie and worth the money.
This past weekend the SO and I had the opportunity to go to the movies and we decided to take in the new Ryan Gosling flick Drive. The SO is a big Gosling fan and I think most of that is because he thinks he's hot, which he kind of is, for a Canadian. Now the movie itself had gotten some big internet buzz, the director Nicolas Winding Refn won the Palme d'Or at Cannes for Best Director for this movie, hell even Rotten Tomatoes had the movie running at a 92% rating! Granted some of the reviews called the movie Europeanish, a patiently paced thriller, stylish to the point of insanity--and mind you these are the good reviews. Having been to a number of film festivals I probably should have taken heed of these types of key words that let you know just exactly what you are in for but we decided to throw caution to the wind and go anyway. I mean it couldn't be that bad if so many people seem to like it.
I guess the our first sign of trouble was when we got to the theater turns out the next showing was for what they call XD which they say means it's on a bigger screen and surround sound or something but what it really means is they are charging you $14.25 per person to see this movie! Outrageous, yes, had I know before we got there I would have said let's wait for the next regular showing but the SO was paying and so let it go. While he went to drop another bucket of cash on popcorn and soda I went to get seats. Now we were there 15 minutes before showtime but holy crap the theater was packed and the only two seats together I could find we closer to the screen than I normally like--basically my worst movie nightmare--a packed theater and bad seats. The SO however likes to sit closer than I so he was ok and kept telling me to "find a happy place." (because that is so me)
After literally 22 minutes of previews for other movies we will probably never see, the movie finally starts. Now the first 15 minutes are interesting as the set up for Gosling as a part-time getaway driver for criminals. The pacing is deliberate and in the beginning it works to set up tension as he evades the police and helps the thieves getaway. After that, well let's just say it goes downhill fast. After he leaves the crooks to themselves we see him driving around LA at night and this is when the credits start rolling over what I can only describe as bad 80's synth music. Even the titles and names appearing across the screen are done in purple cursive which is just a prelude to the whole movie devolving into what I can only describe as a bad 80's action movie with not a lot of action till the end. It's like the Danish director took an old Charles Bronson movie and remade it as an homage to those bad 80's action movies, but from where we were sitting it was not a good homage. From the over use of slo-mo, to the over use of shots of LA at night from the air, to the waaaayyy over use of synth music. I won't give away the plot here, you can always go to The Movie Spoiler for that. But I will say that there were long periods of no talking, brooding looks, cartoon violence, no back story about why he was a stunt driver by day and getaway driver by night, a kid, Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman!!! There were also at least 3 times during the movie that the audience actually laughed---and this was not a comedy. While the movie was only about 85 minutes it felt much longer, even the SO look at me and asked what time it was. And then--as the final insult--after some severe cartoon violence the movie just ends--like it's a fricking French movie--ugh!! I couldn't get out of the theater fast enough.
When I got home I checked online to see if the movie was making money and according to Box Office Mojo it took in about $11.3 million which is only so-so. But the interesting thing was that the Cinema Grade Score---the grade that actual audiences give a movie--was C-. So clearly there is some weird disconnect here between audiences and critics. Granted this happens every now and then but I have to say this is about as wide as I've ever seen. Who knows there is the possibility that this movie may become one of those cult type movies once it hits dvd kind of like how Scarface became really popular with rappers--who knows. My suggestion is if you really want to see it wait for the dvd and don't say you weren't warned. Otherwise, go see Ryan Goslings other movie that is out now Crazy Stupid Love--it is a good movie and worth the money.
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