Best Movie of the Year (so far)

Drive is the best movie I have seen this year.  The director, Nicholas Winding Refn, takes a script and idea that could have easily been turned into any number recent "case" movies but keeps the film grounded in cool.  A coolness that the fantastic cast, especially Mr. Ryan Gosling (best hollywood actor of his generation?).  Gosling's character starts out very much Bullit and ends up more Taxi Driver, but its such a subtle shift, done so quietly that you can't imagine it happening any other way. 

The movie has the style meter turned way up, but the sharp script and perfect pacing make it oh so real, and oh so much more pleasurable.  The rest of the supporting cast is great as well.  Carey Mulligan (one of my actress crushes) is fantastic again and Albert Brooks has a juicy, career-revival, role.  And my word, I have to applaud Refn for managing to actually tame down the beast of Ron Perlmann and making a sincere character out of what could have easily turned into a cartoon.  Plus the soundtrack is fantastic. We've seen this kind of story before, but rarely have we seen it done with such freshness and a restrained hand - the violence does come but manages to be both over the top and realistic at once.  The film needs a violent release, and it provides.  4.5 Molos