Drive (1991)
9/10
Criminally neglected offbeat road movie
21 March 2019
Not the famous Gosling 2011 movie of the same name, which is fantastic in its own right. No, this is a true early nineties Indie, rough around the edges and wilfully offbeat, filmed entirely inside a car during endless commutes and in-your-face in its non-linear style. It's one concession to the mainstream is its co-star, the veteran British actor David Warner, hardly a star anymore, and certainly on the wane when this movie was released in 1991.

What's it about? Two men. Workers, colleagues, commuters. The need to maintain a professional relationship with someone you despise. I think it's also about age. The bitter, acidic Warner is the Driver, a very British middle aged man, given to endless rants who despises his liberal, lovelorn romantic passenger, as they drive to their work at a computer firm every morning. Warner's Driver is the kind of man who would be on Facebook now, churning out alt-right retweets and attacking 'libtard' celebrities.

The film doesn't have much plot but it's clear both characters are increasingly worn down by each other's company and life. Warner's Driver clearly thinks he's in control but appearances can deceive.

In a recent interview online, I read that Warner is still fond of the movie and it's not surprising. His viscious Driver, with his monologues and soliloquy, are perfect for the veteran Shakespearean actor. There's a lot of fun in the movie too and the young actor who plays his passenger is fantastic in his youthful anger and tension.

I saw this on Amazon Prime last year and the director runs a nice little Facebook page for the movie. It's a shame it's not on Amazon anymore.
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