So I saw Drive last night, and I really, really dug it. 

The trailers might have made it look like those action/slapstick Transporter movies, but it was actually a serious (and at times artsy) crime thriller.  Think more in the vein of classics by Michael Mann and Walter Hill, like Thief and The Driver.  Not a wholly original plot, but drawing at least from the best of the genre.  The story unfolds quietly, but when the trouble starts, things get BRUTAL in the blink of an eye.  No punches pulled.  Gunfire is cranked to the max on the soundtrack, almost to a punishing degree (and appropriately).

Gosling and Mulligan are well cast in their roles and give performances based more actions and expressions, with dialogue used sparingly.  The score is a very 80’s inspired mix of pop vocals and synth, which sets a somber, at times almost spooky tone that marries well with scenes of a lonely, desolate LA at night.  I had been looking forward to seeing Albert Brooks, one of my all-time favorite funnymen, play a ruthless gangster, and he does not disappoint.  He can be a very scary guy!

Ironic footnote: I built some miniatures on a low budget movie by Steve Wang in the 90's which was also called Drive.