Drive /

Drive is a 2011 American action drama film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn that is adapted from James Sallis's 2005 novel of the same name. After an unsuccessful attempt to create a film adaption made by Universal Studios, this project was greenlit in early 2010. When Ryan Gosling, who plays the unnamed principal character, signed on, he was allowed to choose the director. A fan of his work, the actor chose Refn. Before filming began towards the end of 2010, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, and Christina Hendricks joined the cast. Like the book, the movie is about a Hollywood stunt performer (played by Gosling) who moonlights as a wheelman and discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong. Prior to its September 2011 release, it has been shown at a number of film festivals. At the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, Drive was lauded with praise and even received a standing ovation. Reviews from critics have been positive, with many drawing comparisons to work from previous eras. The director himself has said influences came from Bullitt (1968) and that Drive was a dedication to Alejandro Jodorowsky.