Drive

Wow. About as meticulously crafted as a film can get, Drive is absolutely phenomenal. Upon seeing the opening ten minutes or so, I knew I was in for a treat. This neo-noir triumph succeeds in giving you a moody atmospheric experience that is fairly conventional in its plot, but overcomes its traditionalist structure in many ways. With standout performances, gorgeous cinematography, great music, smooth pacing, and enough vibrant personality and tone just oozing off of the screen, i'm upset that I never got around to watching this sooner. The movie isn't afraid to take it slow, and so many of the scenes and character moments - particularly from Gosling - show motivations and goals without ever explicitly telling the audience. The pacing is so expertly done, with drawn out camera movement even in tense moments. Everything in this movie just feels so well crafted, like the team who worked on it spent hours upon hours just to get it right with an extra coat of polish. Such a fantastic film, taking a basic idea and adding so many subtle tricks that make it stand out above the rest. Highly recommended.