Good movie. Very much like a movie I remember seeing a lot of in the 80s. Lots of interesting characters and good action as well.
The whole eighties vibe is indeed very strong (neon-pink cursive titles and an exclusively eighties soundtrack) but never really explained - the film is set now, not then. Nonetheless, it's very stylishly done - so much so that when the (occasional, really fucking brutal) violence crops up it's genuinely shocking. I'm slowly but surely turning into a huge fan of Ryan Gosling - I defy you to watch his performance in this film and not be reminded of Steve McQueen, and not only because of the driving: he is stony-faced and silent almost throughout and yet nonetheless manages to communicate everything he needs to. My one gripe with the whole thing is that the story is almost too simple - it's really, really straightforward and although it does twist and turn here and there, it might have been nice to have something more to think about than how good-looking the whole thing is.
In summary, Gosling was great (as was Albert Brooks, actually), the film is merely very good. Check it out, yo.
Quote from: Tonker on February 05, 2012, 12:07:09 PM
I'm slowly but surely turning into a huge fan of Ryan Gosling
Pause.
Not what I was expecting. I had heard Fast & Furious, but good.
Anyone else get a Shane vibe from it?