First Impressions: ‘Drive’

Drive
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
Written by Hossein Amini (screenplay) & James Sallis (book)
100 min.
Rated R

3 1/2 out of 4 stars

By Josh Perrault

Coming into this film it was difficult to imagine what to expect, like how every film should be. Drive blew me away within the first couple seconds of the film. A constantly engaging film that has surprises lurking at the beginning, middle, and end of each scene. Winner of Best Director at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, Nicolas Winding Refn delivers this hypnotic film that stands out from many since Brian De Palma came out with Scarface in the early 1980s. That is to say, I found Drive to have the same fresh feel and stylistic approach that Scarface had, while still keeping some soft edges. Ryan Gosling stars as stuntman and part-time getaway driver known throughout the film simply as the kid, who discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist goes terribly wrong. Ryan Gosling has increasingly stepped up in book throughout his filmography. We can all agree we remember hearing about Gosling after his breakthrough film The Notebook in 2004. I’ll admit, which I’m sure most men will, I neglected the actor due to his “chick flick” role. It’s unfair, I know, but I’ve also matured since then and have grown to appreciate Gosling immensely. And let’s just say, this film helped. Gosling put his acting chops to the test in this action thriller where he played alongside Carey Mulligan who plays Irene, apartment neighbor and lover interest, and Bryan Cranston who plays Shannon, mechanic and Gosling’s right hand man during his stunts. Along with this already amazing cast comes the great Albert Brooks (Taxi Driver), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), and Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy, Hellboy).

It’s not an exaggeration at all when I say I was literally hypnotized by this film. There is an overall look to the film that isn’t seen much. Like I said, it has a little bit of the feel from Scarface mixed with the grittiness of Taxi Driver and the cerebral effect from a David Lynch film. The soundtrack holds a hint of the 80s, and not to mention the hot pink script font that letters across the screen during the credits. The film may seem to start slow as we get to get a feel for Gosling’s character as well as the ones that become close to him leading to his biggest job ever. By that point the film gets that vibrant look. And by vibrant I mean gory (remember, Scarface). And by gory I mean, you definitely weren’t expecting it. This shouldn’t turn those off from seeing the film though. There may be a lot of intense images and blood, but again it gives it that feel that you don’t find in very many films… which I love.

I can’t stress enough the overall feel of this film and how it differs itself from films today. It’s very cool and hypnotic. From the first scene you’ll find your eyes glued to the screen and never under any circumstance wanting to leave. The cinematography is beautiful, the music is killer, and the acting is superb. And honestly who doesn’t love to find all of those elements in a film?

Flame-throwers, explosions, and a car that serves whiskey

By Josh Perrault

Rolling Stone called it “halucinatory.” MSN called it “a weird mix of John Hughes and Mad Max.”Hammer To Nail called it “an explosive, outrageous, and dynamic first film.” Bellflower is a film following two friends as they venture out into the world to begin their adult lives. All their free time is spent building flame-throwers and weapons of mass destruction in hopes that a global apocalypse will occur and clear the runway for their imaginary gang, “Mother Medusa.” A film about betrayal, love, hate, infidelity and extreme violence, Bellflower is the perfect example of indie filmmaking that breaks through conventional style and sets the bar for the future of filmmaking.

The first feature film of writer/director/actor, Evan Glodell, Bellflower premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and was immediately thrown into the festival buzz due to the film’s distinctive look. With a one-of-a-kind camera designed by Glodell, combining vintage camera parts, and Russian lenses around a Silicon Imaging SI-2K Mini digital camera, with cinematographer Joel Hodge’s shooting style gave Bellflower an extremely rare and distinct look. Bellflower is the first feature production from Glodell’s ‘Coatwolf Productions,’ a production company he created in his early 20s after moving to California with a group of close friends to pursue his dream of becoming a filmmaker. For Glodell, Bellflower was an personal story that included many real life events. In order to create Bellflower, Glodell had to nearly sacrifice almost everything, including his personal belongings and living in the abandoned wing of an office building in order to fund the film. It is truly a work of labor for Glodell and should be a good enough entrance into becoming a known filmmaker.

The film was picked up by Oscilloscope Laboratories shortly after its premier at the Sundance Film Festival, as it continued to hit the festival stops and was shown at this year’s South By Southwest Festival. The film hit theaters on August 5th, 2011 and has been recently added to the 2011 Ellensburg Film Festival lineup. The film will be shown Saturday October, 8th so make sure to get your tickets, this is a film you wont want to miss.

Netflix Pick: ‘Fish Tank’

Fish Tank (2009)
Written & Directed by Andrea Arnold
122 mins.

By Tim Lucia

Andrea Arnold’s 2009 film Fish Tank is her second feature after the equally excellent 2006 film Red Road.  A hard-edged drama, Fish Tank provides a look into the life of a troubled young girl and the conflicts that surround her.  Mia (Katie Jarvis), rebellious, angst-ridden, foul-mouthed 15-year old lives a lower-class existence in Essex with her precocious younger sister and their young, sexed-up, chain-smoking, and seemingly unloving mother Joanne (Kierston Wareing).  Expelled from school, Mia spends her days wandering around her town drinking, causing trouble, and practicing her one passion, dancing.  Joanne then brings home her new handsome Irish boyfriend, Connor (Michael Fassbender), and he becomes friendly with Mia, encouraging her to pursue her love of dancing.  Their relationship eventually takes a turn, and Mia sets out to change things in both her own life, and for those around her.  Arnold has crafted an outstanding film here, with an excellent script and fantastic direction.  Young Jarvis gives a performance to rival Jennifer Lawrence’s in Winter’s Bone.  Fish Tank won Best Film at the 2009 BAFTA Awards (British equivalent of the Oscars) and won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes.

Netflix Pick: ‘When We Were Kings’

When We Were Kings (1996)
Directed by Leon Gast
89 mins.

By Tim Lucia

Leon Gast’s When We Were Kings won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 1996.  Kings is a captivating, enthralling look into the life of legendary American boxer Mohammed Ali and his 1974 bout with George Foreman, dubbed ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’.  Besides Ali and Foreman, the film also features the likes of Don King, Spike Lee, James Brown, B.B. King, Norman Mailer, and George Plimpton.  Pieced together with footage from that era, it provides an inside look at Ali’s lager-than-life personality, showing his huge ego while at the same time showing his passion for helping those less fortunate than himself, and his genuine longing to reform the social issues of the time.  I found myself completely entranced by Ali and the film itself.  Kings also provides some insight into Zaire’s politics and the oppression of its people.  Mailer’s interview segments were also incredibly captivating, which is probably why he is one of the most successful writers of all time.  Ali is a hugely prominent figure in both American sports and history, and When We Were Kings is an absolute must-see documentary.

Netflix Pick: ‘This is England’

This is England (2006)
Written & Directed by Shane Meadows
102 mins.

By Tim Lucia

Shane Meadows’ semi-autobiographical film This is England is an unflinching look into disenchanted youth, racism, and English subcultures.  In 1983, mods, new wavers, punks, and skinheads dominate the social scene in England.  Loner Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) begins his summer by getting picked on and fighting with local kids.  On his way home, he meets friendly skinhead Woody (Joseph Gilgun), who takes Shaun under his wing.  Shaun makes new friends, parties, and begins to be happy and enjoy his life.  Enter Combo (Stephen Graham) a dangerous, angry, militant skinhead who also takes a shine to Shaun.  Set against a backdrop of the Falklands War, Shaun sides with Combo, and the conflict escalates, forever changing the lives of all the characters.  Strong performances, story, and cinematography highlight this powerful film which won Best Film at the 2006 British Independent Film Awards.  The soundtrack features classic hits from reggae band Toots & The Maytals.

Netflix Pick: ‘Risky Business’

Risky Business (1983)
Written & Directed by Paul Brickman
99 mins.

By Tim Lucia

Paul Brickman’s 1983 cult classic Risky Business is the film that made Tom Cruise a star, for better or worse.  I hadn’t seen the film for about ten years and was surprised how much I enjoyed it this time around.  Rich suburban Chicago teen Joel Goodsen’s (get it? – ‘good son’) parents leave him home alone after going on vacation.  Joel decides to cut loose by taking out daddy’s Porsche, drinking his Scotch, and rocking out to Bob Seger in his underwear (that scene is painful to watch – possibly even worse than the beach volleyball scene in Top Gun).  He decides to fulfill his sexual needs by contacting beautiful prostitute Lana (Rebecca De Mornay) for a proverbial roll-in-the-hay.  Things quickly spiral out of control and he is forced to become an innovative businessman to get back his parents possessions that he had stolen and/or destroyed himself.  The cinematography was quite good, and regular 80′s soundtrack band Tangerine Dream provides another good score here.

Netflix Pick: ‘Enter the Void’

Enter the Void (2010)
Directed by Gaspar Noe
143 mins.

By Tim Lucia

Argentinian (and French-schooled) auteur Gaspar Noe released his hallucinatory epic Enter the Void at Cannes in 2010, where it took audiences by storm.  Somewhat similar to Kurbrick’s 2001: A Space Odessey, (especially the third act), it is very experimental and extremely trippy.  American drug dealer and user Oscar (Nathaniel Brown) lives in a dark, seedy, neon-lit Tokyo (think Blade Runner’s production design) with his stripper sister Linda (Paz de la Huerta).   During a police raid on a club, Oscar is shot and killed.  The first act (and almost the entire film) is shot from Oscar’s point-of-view.  After death, Oscar’s spirit leaves his body and he floats over Tokyo, watching the goings-on of the seedy underworld, while keeping a close eye on his sister as she goes through her grieving process.  Oscar sees all the colors of the spectrum in great beauty and can see life even down to the molecular level, while at the same witnessing life’s grim ugliness.  Flashbacks to Oscar and Linda’s childhood unfold, and the viewer begins to get a greater sense of who these characters are.  Enter the Void is crazy, hallucinatory journey through life and death.  Forewarning, the film does feature some very explicit sexual content, so it’s probably not for younger viewers.  Note: On imdb, the film is listed as being 161 minutes, but the Netflix version is only 143 minutes.

Netflix Pick: ‘Cop Land’

Cop Land (1997)
Written & Directed by James Mangold
104 mins.

By Tim Lucia

The 1997 crime drama Cop Land is director James Mangold’s second feature, after his debut, Heavy.  He went on to direct Walk the LIne and 3:10 to Yuma.  The star-studded cast includes Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Michael Rapaport, Janeane Garofalo, Robert Patrick, Annabella Sciorra, Noah Emmerich, Cathy Moriarty, and Frank Vincent.  There are also some serious mustaches in this film, particularly from DeNiro and Patrick. Garrison, NJ, sheriff Freddie Heflin (Stallone) patrols the seemingly dull streets of a town populated by cops who work across the George Washington bridge in New York.  Freddie always wanted to become a NYPD cop like them, but he is deaf in one ear, which has kept him out.  Late one night on the bridge, Murray “Superboy” Babich (Rapaport) is involved in a double shooting death, which will give the department a huge black eye.  Superboy disappears with the help of his uncle, Ray Donlan (Keitel).  Freddie begins investigating, but not before being warned not to by Donlan.  As Freddie begins sleuthing, he discovers his town, which was thought to be a safe haven populated by cops, is really a town full of corruption and betrayal.  Liotta portrays a sympathetic but troubled cop on Freddie’s side, and DeNiro ignites the screen as a no-nonsense Internal Affairs officer.  An overlooked crime drama, Cop Land is a fun film for any fan of the crime genre.