Drive

The pace is bound to throw off the Michael Bay crowd, but Drive tells its straight-forward story through a visual and aural cataclysm of slickness that should be appreciated. Ryan Gosling administers a litre of cool to his glare and a bottle of sedatives to his throat, preferring to chew half his lines into his toothpick rather than use actual words. Most of the time, it plays to the film’s style, but there are the odd moments where it just looks bizarre. However, it’s not as bizarre-looking as Ron Perlman. Seriously, it’s like they spliced Will Ferrell with a gorilla. 

RECOMMENDED

Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine examines two heavy segments of a troubled relationship, cleverly inter-cutting between the sweet, hopeful past and the ugly, tragic present. Just when we get lost in a tender, romantic moment in the couple’s history, the film tortures you with a penis-punching dose of reality. Don’t let the poster fool you, this is not a date movie. Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling are phenomenal guides to this uncomfortable trip through the wreckage of a once blooming romance. It’s a hard movie to recommend, solely due to its content. It’s easy, however, to say that it’s an extremely well-made downer.

WATCHABLE