Drive: Movie Review

Hello everyone today I'll be reviewing Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive

If I could sum up this film in one sentence I'd say this movie was a perfect blend of style and substance.In Drive Ryan Gosling stars as the nameless driver, a quiet loner who works as a stuntman for movies by day but moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals by nights. His life begins to take a turn for the better when he meets Irene (Carey Mulligan) and they began to form a strong bond. Unfortunately when Irene's husband returns from prison, Driver is pulled into his criminal world in order to protect Irene and her son. On the surface this seems like a generic action-romance story but if you look deep enough you'll see a movie that speaks to the human and the hero hidden inside all of us.

Drive oozes style. everything from its euro synthpop soundtrack, to its gorgeous use of colors, to Driver himself all come together to make a movie that really makes me which I was in the 80s. Driver himself is the hero of a bygone era and the type of protagonist we don't see much of anymore. He's not on some heroic quest to save a damsel in distress, he's not out trying to avenge the death of a loved one, he's not even on a particular mission throughout the first half of the movie. He's simply a quiet guy just trying to live his life. Ryan Gosling is superb as the Driver. Ryan doesn't get many lines in the movie which only add to the mystery and lure of his character, because the Driver speaks so little it makes it so that when he does speak or does take action all the more exciting because you know he means business.

When it comes to independent movies like this none many people instantly dismiss it as hipster garbage but don't take the time to really see the points the film is trying to get across to the audience. The film explores themes of loneliness, sacrifice, loyalty. The Driver himself is a staple of classic western movies with the silent watchful hero. I urge anyone that anyone who loves neo-noir films see this and not be intimidated by it being an independent. The rest of the cast play their parts straight and mesh well together.

Drive is a great shot of adrenaline with 3 dimensional characters, kick ass style and is an all around fantastic film. This is one ride you shouldn't miss. 

Skyfall: Film Review

Hi everyone and welcome back to Manny's Movie Blog. Today I'll be reviewing James Bond's 25th outing, Skyfall.

I feel that I should give a disclaimer that this was actually the first James Bond movie I've ever seen and as such I will not be comparing it to Quantum of Solace or Casino Royale .


I normally don't get very excited to films (so as not to raise my exceptions too high, but in the case of this movie I couldn't help but get anxious for it. I'm happy to say that Skyfall and met and in some aspects passed my expectations.

As far as leading men go I think that Daniel Craig makes great Bond. Whenever he and Judie Denche's M are on screen together you can really feel their chemistry and that she is Bond's equal and superior in many ways. Naomie Harris and Bernice Marlohe both do great in the roles of the sleek and sexy Eve and beautiful and enigmatic Severine respectively. Javier Bardem plays the chilling and devious villain Raoul Silva.  Everything from this characters entrance to his mannerisms all the way to his fashion sense is perfect. He gets under your skin and creeps you out with a devastating ease.

Once the film starts, the action doesn't stop. I'm very happy to say that nearly all of the effects in the film were done practically, no big CG explosions here. The film moves a great pace that lets you get enough time with the characters to get a feel for who they are, but still makes time to give us some great set pieces. the intresting story takes us all around the world from a ghostly deserted city along the shores of Japan to the beautifully lit casinos of Shanghai all the way to the foggy plains of Scotland.

In general Skyfall was a great movie , with a fast paced and exciting story, and a fantastic cast of characters. This is one mission that you should definitely accept. I give Skyfall 4.5 stars out if 5

I'm Manny and I'll see you guys next time. 

Reservoir Dogs: Film Review

Today on Manny's Movie Blog I'll be reviewing Quentin Tarantino's explosive 1992 debut, Reservoir Dogs

When it comes to big ensemble movies with a star studded cast, it can be very difficult to allow every character to breathe and get enough screen time. In Reservoir Dogs Tarantino masterfully demonstrates that his years as a movie fan have helped him build a great all star cast and an overall fantastic film.

This being an ensemble movie, the cast needs to be solid enough to hold your attention and really sell you'r movie. Thankfully all the actors do a fantastic job in their rolls. Personally I really enjoyed  the performances from Harvey Keitel's veteran Mr.White, and Steve Buscemi's weasly Mr.Pink. But if I had to choose one performance that really blew me away it would have to be Micheal Madsen as the psychopathic Mr.Blond. Every time that his character is on screen he is always speaking in kind-of soft tone, and whenever he talks it almost seems like there's a lot about him that we don't know. As for the rest of the cast, they all deliver solid performances all around.

I think that the fact that this is a heist movie in which we never actually see the heist is brilliant. As the movie progress we get a few small vignettes on several characters that give us some back story on what they were doing before the heist. These not only make the mystery of who the rat is more interesting but they also add some layers of character development in a unique way.

There's another aspect of the film that I feel I should touch on. In the time span the movie takes place in (I'd say maybe a week or two) there's a special radio event happening called  K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70s. This was the coolest friggin addition to the movie in my opinion. from Gerry Rafferty's swinging "Stuck in the Middle with You" to George Baker's slick "Little Green Bag". These songs and others make the film overall a lot more fun and are all catchy to boot!

In conclusion Reservoir Dogs is a classic heist movie with a great cast, an interesting whodunit story and great music to boot. Definitely give this one a watch whether your a Tarantino expert or you don't even know who the guy is. I give this film 4.5 stars out of 5.

I'm Manny and I'll see you guys next time.