Looking at this film, I was reminded of that quote from The Simpsons, “Ah, I see you’ve played knifey-spoony before”. With an estimated budget of $15,000,000, one would think that the props department would have been better funded; the characters were left with no option but to maim and kill their opponents with a random assortment of cutlery.

Seeing a criminal’s eye being skewered with a fork did not add to the storyline for me. It merely added to the tag of ‘gratuitous violence’, plastered all over this film. It was quite clear that Ryan Gosling's character, the unnamed driver/stuntman of the film, was supposed to be the good guy. Yet how this is supposed to be when he spends so much time breaking skulls, mashing guys’ heads into the floor right in front of his love interest, and cutting throats is beyond me.

h, and aggressively slapping a woman across the face when it was quite clear to anyone paying attention that she was being coerced into doing the bad guys’ dirty work and did what she did out of pure fear.

It must be said, the soundtrack of this film is awesome. Really, really awesome. It was the only feature of this film that seemed to fit - it has the makings of a great album to play in the car, and I don’t even drive!

What did not fit, however, was how the director employed much subtlety when conveying the growing affection between the driver and his lady friend, with no bedroom scenes but some hand holding. In itself, this would be quite welcome - I think it’s rare in films for a developing relationship to be portrayed as such.

It sticks out like a sore thumb, however, amongst the aforementioned graphic violence and a man being tortured in a dressing room while several completely naked women stand watching.

The cameras linger on their cleavage long enough for the audience to give each marks out of 10, for crying out loud. The script writing, however - there are no words. 

Mainly because easily half of the film was spent by the characters looking into each other’s eyes with all sorts of attempted degrees of intensity - fondness, longing, disappointment, anger, or just the cliched mile-long stare that Gosling employed throughout - rather than actually saying anything. Was the script-writing department employed only part time?

The line that stands out for me is, “I’m doing nothing this weekend, if you want a ride or something”, said by our driver to Irene. Was this meant as a euphemism or as a serious chat up line? I for one had to stifle the giggles. Clearly our ‘hero’ is not a man of few words despite his articulacy; rather because of it.

It was obvious that the audience was expected to root for driver and Irene getting together despite the odds. Instead, I thought to myself how her taste in men was clearly atrocious and spent the film hoping that she ran quickly in the opposite direction. Hint: that’s what you should do with this film also. 6/10

Christine Brookes