Okay to be honest I haven't watch TV or been online all summer so I didn't see any trailer for this movie. I actually saw something about it in a magazine. The write up gave a very enticing so I decided to see it. Didn't really know much about Ryan Gosling but his powerful work in Half Nelson and thought it was interesting a indie guy was in a action/car movie.
Well to say this is a different kind of car movie is an understatement. Actually Ryan Gosling performance in a exercise in understatement. His character barely speaks but when he does it important.The character is never named but we know he drive getaway cars at night and stunt cars by day and he's as cool as ice at all times. Oh and he wears a gold jacket with a embroiled scorpion on the back like a second skin, interesting chose to say the least. He live a solitary life that is until he and his neighbor Irene played by Carey Muligan start something. Unfortunately before they get anywhere her ex con husband comes home. The bittersweet homecoming is just a prelude to whats to come. See hubby owe some guys some money and he has to do one last job blah blah blah. Driver is incline to help his would be loves husband, to stop anything from happening to her or her son whom he also has a soft spot for.
Of course things go horribly wrong on this "one last job" as usual. Apparently Standard's "job" was a front for another "job" set up by a mobster associated with Driver's fast talking well meaning fuck up friend Shannon played effortlessly by Bryan Cranston. Left with a bag of money and a shit load of blood on his hands Driver tries to set thing straight but they only get worse.
Without giving anything else away the film is a clear throw back to violent but character driven films of the 70's however the soundtrack is pure 80's pop which was kind of weird and refreshing at the same time. I can't wait for this to come out on DVD so I can really dig in to Gosling performance.
