Far Beyond Driven

Jaw-dropping piece of cinema from Nicolas Winding Refn, there isn't a weak link in the chain from the top-billed performances of Gosling and Mulligan down to the knuckle-dragging henchmen, everyone brings their A-game. Refn has a unique voice as his previous work (including Bronson and Fear X) ably demonstrates and this must be his strongest outing to date. Gosling's performance is beautifully empty, the epitome of 'spare' while Mulligan effortlessly illuminates the screen, making it impossible to tear ones eyes off her in much the same way as in 'An Education' (or anything else she's been in).

Carey Mulligan

These two performances alone would make an excellent film, but it is in the 'supporting' roles that 'Drive' is elevated from a good movie to a definitive piece of modern cinema that will stand out for years to come as a beacon of what can be achieved with total belief in a good project. Ron Perlman and Christina Hendricks know how to captivate an audience. Hendricks owns every one of her scenes in the peerless 'Man Men' and Perlman is the godfather of the twisted soul, but thankfully is given the chance to play it straight up here and does so to brutal effect, whereas Hendricks delivers a nicely judged if brief appearance transitioning from bravado to a much truer, baser emotion.



Bryan Cranston

These four performances are to be expected from the individuals in question, but the standouts are those ones that come from left field. Albert Brooks was for so long the straight man in funny movies but who knew he had this in him. His turn as Bernie Rose is every bit as menacing as De Niro at his best/'worst', but Brooks' foil is possibly even more surprising. Bryan Cranston, for so long delivering howlingly funny often slapstick comedy as Malcolm's dad, in 'Malcolm in the Middle', turns in a beautifully nuanced performance as Gosling's mentor Shannon. None of the main characters is entirely good or evil, with the probable exception of Mulligan's 'Irene' and Perlman's 'Nino' and it is perhaps that facet that makes 'Drive' as enthralling as it is.

Albert Brooks

'Drive' could be seen as yet another demonstration that so much that is exciting in modern storytelling is coming from Scandinavia, however I think it is actually a vivid illustration that the best cinema comes from the melting pot, with no barrier preventing directors, actors, writers and all the other creative fields from coming together. It's strong stuff in places, but if you can get past that you are in for one of the most memorable films in the last 20 years.

Shut the Door. Have a Seat

It is so rare these days to find a drama that is not hackneyed and dumbed-down, or characters that are not cardboard cut-outs, a pastiche of stereotypes or ‘zanily quirky’ (c). At first glance I thought Mad Men was an unlikely prospect, and I dismissed it as a historical soap at the cost of a three year gap before discovering it. The loss was entirely mine, because Mad Men is a hidden gem. It does for Ad Execs what The West Wing did for public servants, etching fascinating characters that bleed, sweat and cry. They are so human, so individual, that they must be real, chock full or vices and virtues as they are. Drinking and womanising are tools of the trade, chauvinism and discrimination of every flavour are rife, men are men and a woman’s place is in the home or a seedy hotel room possibly. But MM is not a lecherous romp, it is very much what is advertised, a way of life in 60’s America.

It is also an enthralling saunter through a seismic period of history, a crossroads in so many ways. It is just starting to be revealed that smoking is harmful. MLK speaks and America listens whether it likes the message are not. Kennedy defeats Nixon, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Dallas Texas. The issues of the period are woven into the fabric of the Sterling Cooper agency and its staff. They are shaken by these world-changing events in a way that we can only imagine. But it is not the breadth of the canvas but the detail, the nuance the charming, hateful humanity of the characters and their workaday lives that give MM its true power. Roger Sterling is an arrogant bully who inherited his success, and yet he falls in love. Bert Cooper is a true eccentric and yet his judgement is incomparable. Pete Campbell is a grasping, jealous young executive but truly skilled at what he does. Peggy Olson is an anachronism, a talented, ambitious young woman who does not fit the new Barbie image, achieving success in a man’s world.

And then there is Donald Draper. How can anyone have sympathy for Don? The serial infidelity to model wife Betty, lies upon lies and the near-callous disregard for his staff, the charmed, seemingly effortless career – Don is fated to succeed, a genius in his field, the man with the golden tongue. And yet for me there is something fragile about him and a fascinating background, and there are secrets, oh boy are there secrets. You won't like Don Draper, but if you are a bloke you just might want to be him. Not since The West Wing has there been a drama from the US that has been so keenly observed and utterly immersing. In my view its creation was seminal in the field of TV drama. Mad Men is unashamedly TV for grown-ups.