By From the Swedish tundra to a kaleidoscopic view of growing up in a small Texas town, 2011 brought us directors who told familiar stories through a new perspective. It’s hard to detach a director’s work from the end product for good reason: their efforts are largely why the film is good or bad.
Depending on your preference of genre and full-body nudity, there was a lot to choose from in 2011. For us, however, there is only one clear winner …
Let’s be honest: Drive didn’t have an incredibly original story or characters. It’s a case of style over substance, except, in this instance, style is enough. Director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising) has so much style it’s wasted. He frames characters in such an artful way that the camera gives away their personality traits before they even speak. Through his lens, Los Angles becomes the greatest character of all: brought to life with faded neon lights, dimly lit streets, and a fetish for the ’80s. Through fantastic helicopter shots and slow zooms, Refn smothers his simple crime story with a unique mood and atmosphere that sucks you into the life of a timid but menacing stunt driver.
There is a precision to Refn’s vision that comes through every scene of Drive. The opening pan that introduces us to Gosling’s character, the slow zoom revealing Gosling looking into the mob’s pizza shop, and the opening ten minutes — perhaps the best opening all year — feel calculated and specific without losing personality. Drive is a sexy and smart film, even when it’s character aren’t, and that’s why we give it our Dactyl (softly).
Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive) – 3
David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) – 2
J.J. Abrams (Super 8) – 2
Steve McQueen (Shame) – 2
Martin Scorsese (Hugo) – 1
Pedro Almodovar (The Skin I Live In) – 1
Alexander Payne (The Descendants) – 1
Steven Spielberg (The Adventures of Tintin) – 1
Michael Dowse (Take Me Home Tonight) – 1