Drive

Gosling's most iconic role in this cult favorite

"Drive" is ostensibly an action movie about a driver, but there's simultaneously more and less than that implies.

The action is surprisingly brutal, even for an action movie, but it's concentrated in just a handful of high-octane moments. Most of the run-time is silent and moody, focusing on the private lives of its characters. The quiet moments make the violence hit harder.

What's more surprising, then, is the thoughtfulness of it all. The cinematography is smart, laden with simmering emotions, slow but never boring. The same can be said of Gosling's character, who says more with his eyes than he does with his mouth. It's the role that changed the trajectory of his career, his best to date--and he doesn't even have a name.

At the core of the movie is the tension between Gosling's love and his violent nature. It resonates strongly with a certain type of guy and should appeal to anyone who likes spaghetti westerns and samurai films of old.