Last year, Ryan Gosling starred in a movie where he played a stuntman. It was called The Fall Guy, and, while it was reviewed pretty well, it didn't exactly explode at the box office.

Even so, it was a fun little flick, and it even had an interesting twist. It’s not, though, what I would deem one of Ryan Gosling’s best movies. You want to know what I would call one of his best films? 2011’s Drive. In it, Gosling plays yet ANOTHER stuntman. This isn’t an action comedy like The Fall Guy. Instead, it’s an action drama directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.

Upon its release, a lot of people were talking about Drive. However, nowadays, I rarely hear anybody say, “Hey, remember Drive? That movie was awesome,” which bothers me, because Drive is awesome. I think people should still be talking about it like they do other awesome movies like Pulp Fiction, Heat, and The Town. Here’s why.

Ryan Gosling Is Always Cool, But He’s Never Been Cooler Than He Is As The Driver

Do you know how cool Ryan Gosling is in Drive? So cool that he doesn’t even have a name. He’s simply known as The Driver. Now, while I thought it was kind of lame in Tenet when the protagonist was called…The Protagonist, I actually think it’s cool that Gosling’s character is so mysterious that he doesn’t even get a name. He just gets a title.

That’s cool. What’s also cool is that by day, he’s a Hollywood stunt driver and a mechanic, but at night, he’s a getaway driver. This dual persona just exudes a sort of toughness that makes you wonder which job is more dangerous: putting his life on the line to pull off amazing stunts during the day, or, pursuing a life of crime when the lights go down?

Well, the answer is the latter, but that's only once he gets involved with his neighbor, Irene (played by Carey Mulligan) and her son. Prior to that, he works well with his auto shop owner friend, Shannon, played by Bryan Cranston. Shannon is the one who connects The Driver with a mobster, played by Albert Brooks, and his partner, played by Ron Perlman.

The problem is, his neighbor's husband, played by Oscar Issac, gets The Driver embroiled in a heist once a third party threatens Irene and her child. To protect them, The Driver gets involved, and it leads him down a path that he can't get out of once he gets started.

And, man. Gosling is just so cool in this picture. He wears a white jacket with a scorpion on the back, and he’s so calm when he kills people that he’s almost serene. He barely talks in the entire movie, and there's always just this air of mystery about him. Like I said, Gosling is always cool, but he's never been cooler than he was as The Driver.

The Soundtrack Is Insanely Good And Perfectly Fits The Film

Honestly, one of the main reasons why I've probably never forgotten this movie is because of its amazing soundtrack, which features music from Johnny Jewel and is scored by Cliff Martinez.

Drive is definitely in my top five favorite scores of all time, and it’s right up there with Apocalypse Now, Reservoir Dogs (which I think is the perfect debut picture), There Will Be Blood, and Midnight Cowboy.

I think I love it so much because it doesn't really fit the movie. I mean, it does, and it doesn’t. What I mean is, even though this film was meant to take place in modern times (which was 2011 when it debuted) it has a serious ‘80s, synth vibe to it, kind of like the video game, Hotline Miami, which came out a year later. That creates a stark contrast to what’s going on in the story, but also compliments it extremely well.

In fact, I can’t think of another soundtrack that both fits to such an extreme degree, and yet, shouldn’t fit at all. Here you have this dark and violent action movie, and then you have this cheery, retro, synth electronic sound that feels like a juxtaposition, but then doesn’t at the same time.

It’s strange, but I really don’t think this movie would be nearly as good if it didn’t have such a stellar soundtrack. This music really is everything.

The Movie Also Has Style For Days

I know I already mentioned Reservoir Dogs in this article, but one of my favorite directors of all time is Quentin Tarantino, and it’s because his style is instantly recognizable. In fact, I think the same could be said of most iconic directors. Even if they make entirely different movies, a director’s style is their trademark, their calling card. It’s what makes them an auteur (when you watch a Stanley Kubrick movie, you know it’s a Kubrick movie).

Then you have Nicolas Winding Refn, who I can’t really get a handle on. With Drive’s cool characters (and even cooler dialogue –”Have you ever heard of the story of the scorpion and the frog?”), bright lights, but low tones, and overall arthouse aesthetic, this movie has style for days.

Keep in mind, though. The movie that came out prior to this from Refn was the bleak and dour Valhalla Rising, which couldn’t be any more different. It’s interesting to watch both films back-to-back just to see how versatile Refn can be, but I digress.

It’s not only the look that makes this movie so stylistic, though, but also how the characters act. Christina Hendricks plays a thief, but she’s such a cool thief. The same can be said of Albert Brooks, who plays a Jewish-American mobster. He can’t just kill Cranston’s character by shooting him in the head. Of course not. That’d be too pedestrian a death. Instead, he slashes Shannon’s arm with a razor, making him bleed out.

It’s all of these elements that just make this movie feel so different, unique, and stylistic in a way that just can’t be beat.

The Heist-Gone-Wrong Storyline Is Simple, But Effective

I want to say that at its heart, Drive is a love story, but it’s really not.

If it’s anything, it’s a heist-gone-wrong story, and it’s super simple, but really effective. As mentioned earlier, The Driver forms a sort of relationship with his neighbor, Irene. Before it can go very far, Irene’s husband gets out of jail, and he gets in trouble almost immediately, and is forced into robbing a pawn shop.

To protect Irene, The Driver acts as a getaway driver for her husband, but everything goes south quickly, and he ends up in hot water with other people connected to the heist.

It’s a relatively simple story, but the music, style, and acting make it feel more than just that.

In that way, a story that could have been rather bland ended up being anything but, which brings me to my last point as to why people should rewatch (or watch) this movie.

Overall, It’s Just A Memorable Masterpiece

Oftentimes, I feel movies aren’t the sum of their parts. I’ll enjoy certain aspects of films, but taken as a whole, I just feel like something’s missing.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the movie is bad, but it also means that there is just something holding it back from greatness. In other words, it’s not a 10 out of 10 movie like Sinners, where everything just seems to fall into place.

However, Drive really is a 10 out of 10 movie. The characters, vibe, music, and story are memorable, as is everything else, and it pains me to see that nobody really talks about it anymore.

Yes, it came out in 2011, and much has changed since then. Do you know what hasn’t? That this movie is a freaking masterpiece, and I stand behind that statement.

What do you think? Have you ever seen Drive? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The superhero genre continues to be wildly popular, and with the DCEU at an end (and streaming with a Max subscription), all eyes are on what CEO James Gunn has in store for the new DC Universe. The first slate of projects is titled Gods and Monsters, and there are countless questions about upcoming DC movies. One Director just revived his Interest in directing a Batgirl movie, and I think he'd be a great fit for James Gunn's DCU.

Following the scrapped Batgirl movie, fans are wondering if/when that hero will join the developing DCU. Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn previously expressed interest in directing a Batgirl flick, saying "You know the one I want to do? I want to make Batgirl" to Business Insider back in 2016. He was recently asked about this possibility by THR, and he got real by saying:

There you have it. While getting honest about the downside of trying to adapt pre-existing IP, it sounds like Refn is still down to clown with a possible Batgirl movie. We'll just have to wait and see what James Gunn's plans for the character are, and if it might involve the filmmaker.

Personally I think that Nicolas Winding Refn would be a killer choice to bring a live-action Batgirl movie to life. He's got plenty of experience with genre work and franchises, thanks to the Pusher trilogy (aka one of the best Mads Mikkelsen movies) and acclaimed projects like Drive. So why not get him in Gotham City with Barbara Gordon?

Later in the same interview with THR, Refn offered more of his perspective on the industry as a whole, and his ability to take films he's passionate about. In his words:

Points were made. So if a Batgirl movie falls onto his lap, it sounds like he might not be involved for a full franchise or trilogy of films. Of course, there's no guarantee that James Gunn is approaching him with this type of offer... even if he'd absolutely hit it out of the park.

Of course, some fans are still mourning Leslie Grace's Batgirl movie, which was filmed in its entirety before Warner Bros. dropped the project in favor of a reported tax cut. It's unclear if that project will ever see the light of days, despite an all-star cast including J.K. Simmons' James Gordon, Brendan Fraser's Firefly, and Michael Keaton's Batman.

The DCU will begin with James Gunn's Superman movie. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates.

The DCEU is still in its infancy, taking its time to introduce all the characters familiar to DC Comics fans. One such character is Batgirl, a fan favorite who's faced heart-wrenching tragedy and still got back up to protect Gotham City. It's completely unknown what the current plan is for Barbara Gordon or where she'll be introduced, but one indie filmmaker has already thrown his hat into the ring for giving her a starring role in her own film. Nicolas Winding Refn, the director of this summer's Neon Demon, would love to direct a Batgirl movie.

You may recognize Refn's name best from his gritty and violent indie films. Some of his work includes films like Bronson, Only God Forgives, and Drive. He's not exactly the first guy you'd expect to want to direct a Batgirl movie, but coming out of his recent female-centric Neon Demon, the director is feeling some girl power. While speaking with Business Insider, Refn was asked if he'd ever like to direct a superhero movie and after trying to remember what heroes are left, he put Batgirl at the top of his list.

Refn has never directed a big-budget Hollywood movie before, but it seemed like something he wanted to do at least once. There's a lot more creative freedom on indie films for a director to do what they wish than there is on a blockbuster where millions of dollars are on the line. Still, Refn said he thinks it would be fun to experience all the "insanity" and "people running around with cell phones" that must occur on a major Hollywood film set. Interestingly enough, Refn has wanted to make a superhero film for awhile now. Back in 2011, he said he'd like to direct a Wonder Woman movie. Patty Jenkins is handling that project, but Refn might get his chance when a sequel comes around.

As far as Batgirl is concerned, I'm not sure if DC Films would want to put the guy who directed I'm the Angel of Death: Pusher III in the reins of a blockbuster. However, he's certainly a talented guy (Drive is pretty awesome), and he would give the film a unique feel. The DCEU is supposed to be filmmaker-driven after all and Refn fits that mantra.

It's unclear where Barabara Gordon fits in this new DCEU. We still don't know much about even Batman's history and what Robin's he's worked with. Plus, Batgirl's most famous storyline is getting crippled by The Joker and becoming the cyber vigilante Oracle. Will the DCEU have Barbara already in a wheelchair or has she not met that particular fate? They could even go the New 52 route and have her recover from her injuries and take up the mantle of Batgirl again. There's a rumor that they're working on a Harley Quinn movie that would be a team-up between DC female characters, including Batgirl, so her filmic fate is kinda all over the place right now.

A Nicolas Winding Refn-helmed Batgirl movie would definitely be an interesting thing to see, but only time will tell if Warner Bros. even wants a Batgirl movie. Make sure to check back in with CinemaBlend and we'll update you on all things Batgirl whenever we can.

If you want a comeback streak that only seems to become more interesting with each passing film, look no further than the career of Keanu Reeves. With John Wick succeeding at the box office enough to put a sequel onto the board, as well as Eli Roth's thriller Knock Knock in his queue, Reeves looks to be in demand at this moment. If you didn't think he could get any more popular, then hold onto your hats – as Nicolas Windnig Refn's latest project has just found, "The One."

It has been announced via press release that The Neon Demon has just cast Keanu Reeves in a role of unspecified importance, alongside previously named cast members Elle Fanning and Jena Malone. Also confirmed for The Neon Demon cast is mutual muse to both Refn and Ryan Gosling, Mad Men star Christina Hendricks, who we previously guessed might become involved with the project. All will star in a story about "vicious beauty" that was inspired by Refn's observation that he felt, "surrounded and dominated by women." Sounds like the wholesome family fare Nicholas Winding Refn offers every time he steps behind a camera.

It would appear that Hollywood has heard Keanu Reeves' plea from a few months ago to do more diverse and interesting projects with diverse and interesting filmmakers, as he's had quite a round of good fortune in his corner as of late. Jumping on board as ambitious a project as The Neon Demon not only affords the former Matrix star the opportunity to work with new talent, but it also puts him on a particularly promising track as an actor. Much like Ryan Gosling, Reeves' might not only find himself working with Refn again, but also could find himself in the favor of other, similarly independent directors.

While there's no specifics on the story or characters released just yet, The Neon Demon sounds like it'll be a cautionary tale about fame in the City of Angels, rife with diabolical and deadly chances for the film's leading ladies to take each other down a peg – or off this earth – with the greatest of ease. This means that Keanu Reeves could play anything from a sleazy studio executive, to a paparazzi, to even a shadowy killer. Of course, it doesn't hurt Reeves' career to be seen in roles he doesn't normally inhabit, surrounded by cast members of mass appeal.

Much like his comeback character in John Wick, Keanu Reeves has found himself in a renaissance position that could help him write his ticket to starring in either more prestige friendly or niche, genre-driven films. For the moment, the world is the man's oyster, and he looks ready to dig out some pearls.

The Neon Demon begins shooting on March 30th.

After the huge critcal success of 2011’s Drive, director Nicolas Winding Refn and its star, Ryan Gosling, had the pick of any movie they wanted. They went with Only God Forgives, and audiences reacted poorly to their choice. Criticized for being self-indulgent, overly violent and failing to go beyond what the director-actor duo they had created with their previous collaboration, Only God Forgives was ravaged by critics and returned only $10.3 million at the box-office. But It turns out that making the eastern-noir-art house-crime-thriller wasn’t exactly a picnic for its director either. And so, like any loving wife would do, Refn’s spouse, Liv Corfixen, decided to film his toil for a documentary of her own. My Life Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn premiered at the Fantastic Festival over the weekend, and while it has been generally well received, the most interesting points that have emerged regard Refn’s attempts to keep himself together during production.

So, what does Corfixen’s documentary reveal? Well, according to IndieWire's review it doesn’t make Refn look good at all. At first, the Danish filmmaker is seen as being "worried about repeating himself," (as any director surprisingly confronted by a hit-film is likely to be), while he also declares that he doesn’t "want to be the Drive guy forever." Both of which are solid points. But it soon becomes obvious, as he paces between locations, throws tantrums on set and babbles "about his intentions back home," that Refn, who is described as being trapped by his own ambition, is struggling to deal with the pressures of following Drive. Kohn perfectly describes a particular set of sequences from the documentary that sum up Refn’s strife during production:

Ultimately we learn that Refn’s vision with Only God Forgives was to "challenge viewers with the antithesis to the crowd-pleasing aspects of his previous outings." But by the end of My Life Directed By Nicolas Winding Refn, even he admits that it just wasn’t good enough - which is a rather harsh assessment. Even though it’s meandering, graphically bloody and loosely plotted, there is still a lot to love about the film. It’s just not for everyone.

For those of you who haven’t seen Only God Forgives,or for those of you who have and want to be reminded of the film’s divisive style and tone, you can check out its trailer on the next page:

They ride together, they die together. Nicolas Winding Refn isn't abandoning his bro Ryan Gosling after the actor's directorial debut, the trippy, divisive Cannes mindbender Lost River. The Drive collaborators found themselves at Cannes with Refn a part of the jury, and Gosling debuting his new film on the Croisette. Lost River might not have won anything, but it certainly won Refn's heart.

Speaking to Vulture about the film, which might eventually be sold off by Warner Bros., Refn says,

Lost River, based on a script Gosling wrote himself, deals with a kid discovering a secret underwater town in Detroit, leading his mother (Christina Hendricks) to engage in an elaborate search to find him. The film's packed many surreal touches into its runtime, and you can see some of them here in this official clip.

It's admirable for Refn to stand up for his bro. The films the duo have worked on, which includes Drive and the hallucinatory Only God Forgives, showcase what feels like a singular vision, with Gosling almost acting as an appendage to Refn's ideas and concepts. He doesn't talk much in either movie, more of a totem for Refn's distant, trippy sensibility. You'd hope that maybe they could reunite on Refn's upcoming horror film.

Ultimately, Lost River didn't win favor with the Cannes jury that Refn served with, winning no major prizes. Distributor Warner Bros. put up the $3 million budget for the movie but they might be looking to cut their losses, as Gosling has no doubt turned in a less-than-commercial film that has perplexed and flummoxed the majority of the Cannes movie-watching crew. But even though Refn's words sound a bit like a friend merely sticking up for his buddy's questionable art project ("There are images that still stick with me"), Refn's words still make a difference in eventually getting this weird-sounding film out to the public. In addition to Hendricks, Lost River also stars Matt Smith, Saoirse Ronan, Eva Mendes, Iain de Casestacker, Barbara Steele and Ben Mendelsohn, who Refn highlights in his comments about the film ("I could watch him read a phone book"). No release date has been set.

It turns out we weren't the only ones a bit obsessed with the creepy video of the final known moments of the late Elisa Lam. Drive helmer Nicolas Winding Refn is so fascinated by the freaky viral video that he has made the unexpected move to petition for the director's chair on the in-the-works horror movie it inspired.

Deadline reports Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn is in negotiations with Sony Pictures to direct The Bringing, a horror-thriller loosely based on the notorious Elisa Lam video. Refn is best known for films he wrote and directed, ranging from the outlandish criminal biopic Bronson, to the brutal Ryan Gosling vehicle Drive and his polarizing follow-up, the gruesome crime-thriller Only God Forgives. With The Bringing, he'd be breaking from tradition of only helming movies he also had a hand in writing.

The Bringing first made waves as a spec script earlier this year. At that time, its writers, Brandon and Phillip Murphy, were the center of a frenzy of studio attention, with multiple producers vying for the promising project. Other than the teaser that its premise is based on the mystery of Elisa Lam's final day, little is known about the contents of The Bringing.

Reportedly, Refn is a big fan of horror, which should come as no surprise to those who have seen his blood-drenched takes on drama. It's said he has been on the hunt for a horror film that appealed to him, and it seems either the Elisa Lam story or The Bringing's script caught his eye. As far as the former goes, it's easy to see why.

Revisit the disturbing images of the video that has ranked up more than 5 million views since it first made its way online:

Before she became the subject of intense internet speculation, Elisa Lam was a Canadian college student. But her story is as tragic as it is inexplicable. She went missing in January of 2013, and was later found in the rooftop water tanks of The Cecile Hotel, a Los Angeles spot with a spotted history that included a spade of suicides and a pair of serial killers. The video above surfaced later, giving some insight into Elisa Lam's final days. But the details of the silent security footage became a heated topic of debate.

Some insisted Lam's bizarre behavior showed signs of a mental disorder, or perhaps drug or alcohol abuse (the coroner's report struck the possibility of the latter). Others have suggested that something supernatural and sinister is going on here, citing the appearance of Lam hiding from somebody in the hallway, what looks like her talking to someone unseen, and the strange contortions of her hands as she stands outside the elevator.

While we really have no way of knowing what happened to Elisa Lam between this video and when her corpse was found in the run-down hotel's water tanks, her story--or at least her possible story--has inspired countless webcrawlers to weigh in. With Nicolas Winding Refn fighting to join in the conversation, this story is sure to get new life, and potentially a deeply disturbing movie adaptation.

In retrospect, it seems crazy that we ever believed in the Logan's Run remake with Nicolas Winding Refn directing and Ryan Gosling starring. Yes, the two were definitely attached, back when Drive still hadn't opened and seemed more like a heist thriller than the mood piece it really was, and they remained attached even as they moved on to make Only God Forgives instead. Gosling finally dropped the project last fall and though Refn never made his own announcement, he's finally confirmed that, yes, the project is totally dead (though word that another screenwriter has signed on may mean it's still living on without Refn).

Answering Twitchfilm's question about the state of the remake, Refn said "It's dead as dead can be." He continued to explain that the quality of the original film kept getting in his way:

But if you want to see Refn tackle a sci-fi classic, you might not have to wait long. Development on his Barbarella TV series, an adaptation of the iconic 1968 sci-fi movie starring Jane Fonda. A movie remake had kicked around for a long time in the hands of Robert Rodriguez, but Refn seems to be the closest to actually making it happen; he told Twitch "I'm really concentrating on my TV show, to see if I can get that off the ground." Of course, that doesn't mean it's actually happening any time soon-- but at least there's commitment there that clearly wasn't in place for Logan.

I’m still not sold on Nicolas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives. I’m also not ready to throw in the towel. Not completely. Not yet. Yes, his most recent film Drive was a stylishly violent concoction, and that appears to be what Refn and Ryan Gosling are going for again in this neon-drenched vengeance tale. But the reviews out of Cannes where the movie has its debut … man, they were vicious. Just brutal. Could the movie be better than advertised. Of course, and the latest trailer – posted above via Empire – goes a long way toward telling me that Only God Forgives can’t be as bad as Cannes critics make it out to be.

Gosling plays the youngest son of a sadistic mother figure (played with campy ice by Kristin Scott Thomas), who is ordered on a mission of vengeance when a local crime boss (Vithaya Pansringarm) kills the woman’s oldest child. Good premise, and one that Gosling and Refn easily could sink their teeth into, right?

Except when the movie played in France, audiences booed (normal in Cannes) and the critics left Gosling looking like this:

Few journos on site were quite as scathing as Hollywood-Elsewhere curmudgeon Jeff Wells, who infamously wrote:

I want to say Wells was being harsh, but these sentiments were mirrored in other reviews. Maybe Refn made some changes? The way this new trailer is cut suggests a streamlined, attractive and menacing foreign thriller that bathes in the seedy underbelly of a criminal landscape … which Refn did with Drive. We’ll find out on July 19, when the movie starts rolling out into select markets. In the meantime, do the early reviews scare you off of Refn’s Only God Forgives? Or did you like his other films, from Bronson to Valhalla Rising? He does seem to be an acquired taste. But Gosling speaks his language. I wonder if his latest will talk to all of us.

Two years ago director Nicolas Winding Refn brought his first American film to the Cannes Film Festival, and absolutely blew everybody away. The film, Drive, was nominated for the Palme d'Or and won the Best Director prize at the festival, and went on to be one of the biggest critical hits of the year. Now the filmmaker is getting set to duplicate that approach with his latest movie, the dark drama Only God Forgives.

While the film is already set to hit theaters on July 19th, it will be holding its premiere at this year's Cannes, and to get you ready The Playlist has posted not only a whole bunch of new photos, but a director's statement from Winding Refn where he explains what he was trying to do/express with Only God Forgives. Read the statement below and then scope out a few of the new stills.

For more images from the movie, head over to The Playlist.

Only God Forgives, based on an original screenplay by Winding Refn, stars Ryan Gosling as Julian, a gangster and drug smuggler living in Bangkok who goes on the hunt for vengeance against his brother's killer. Kristin Scott Thomas co-stars as Julian's mother.

After the critical success of Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn was a “hot” filmmaker who had the pick of multiple projects. One, titled Only God Forgives, makes its way to theaters later this year with leading man Ryan Gosling collaborating once again. Other projects, however, are falling by the wayside… like this.

Collider reports that Refn has walked away from The Equalizer, a modernized adaptation of the cult 1980s television series that currently has Denzel Washington attached to star. The main character in The Equalizer is a retired intelligence agent who now assists the downtrodden as a private investigator.

But the project isn’t dead, according to the site, and Sony is still bullish about turning The Equalizer into a movie franchise. With Washington, who’s on the Oscar trail for Flight, still set to play the lead role, the studio would like to hire a replacement director in order to begin shooting the film in May.

Refn, meanwhile, has Only God Forgives in the can, and will begin screening it later this year. We’re guessing that his collaboration with Gosling – set in the bizarre world of Thailand kick-boxing – makes its debut at the Cannes Film Festival (just like Drive did) before heading to theaters later in the year. I’m not saying that Refn is the wrong guy for The Equalizer, and I’m sure he would have done something original with the material, but the project sounds like generic genre material (a la Broken City) and at this stage I think we’d rather see Refn challenging himself with more complicated material than a remake of a cult TV show.

Danish writer-director Nicolas Winding Refn first raised eyebrows and drew notice Stateside for his bold and very violent biopic about the United Kingdom's most notorious inmate, Michael "Charles Bronson" Peterson in 2008's Bronson. When he teamed up with feminist heartthrob and fearless thespian Ryan Gosling for their shocking but earnest homage to classic Hollywood with Drive, critics were chomping at the bit to see this mysterious flick with a nameless hero, in part because of the pair's individual reputations for daring drama, and in part because of the stylish yet menacing marketing campaign.

Now, we're just months away from the release of Refn and Gosling's second collaboration, Only God Forgives, and the ad campaign is heating up. First we got a glimpse of a brutalized Gosling with this behind-the-scenes photo. Then the first poster put their marred leading man front and center in black and white. Color images of this look followed, and now we've got the film's first teaser. Check it out below:

Though we only get flashes of the new film in the teaser, the sense of menace it contains is clear between the tense music, disturbing imagery and the actors names over what appears to be a machete being raised for attack. Written by Refn, Only God Forgives centers on the conflict that arises between and American gangster (Gosling) and a Bangkok police lieutenant, a faceoff that will be settled in a Thai-boxing match.

Only God Forgives will open in Denmark on May 23rd. It's likely a U.S. theatrical release will follow, but we're still waiting to hear when.

Normally, Ryan Gosling movies sell themselves on the leading man’s ridiculously good looks. And why not, right? If you are going to hire Gosling, you might as well put his mug front and center. But Gosling, on the contrary, isn’t an actor who strictly relies on his looks to get gigs. And he isn’t afraid to demolish his “calling card,” if the right role requires it.

Take, for example, Only God Forgives,, Gosling’s reunion with Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn. Most of the imagery released to help generate interest in the upcoming film has shown the handsome Gosling in states of pain and bruising. New images shared via The Film Stage continue the theme. Check them out:

The first image was found in Premiere Magazine, with the issue hinting at a May release date in France (thereby suggesting a possible Cannes Film Festival bow for the film). That image shows Gosling’s character sitting at what might be a boxing ring, as Refn’s movie reportedly takes place in the seedy world of Bangkok fighting. The others were promo images used to sell the movie earlier in the year.

Not that a hard sell is necessary. After Drive, we’d basically sign up for whatever these two decided to do next. Critics raving about Drive suggested that Gosling and Refn could be entering a collaboration that rivals Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro in their prime. And while that seems crazy, it isn’t as far-fetched as you might imagine. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with God, which has plenty of potential. It co-stars Kristen Scott Thomas, and hopefully will be opening in the States on May 23.

In July it was confirmed that Denzel Washington had been set to star in The Equalizer, an adaptation of the action/crime television series from the mid-to-late 1980s that starred Edward Woodward as a retired intelligence agent cum private detective who worked to help his clients "equalize" threatening situations. At the time it was said that Richard Wenk, writer of 16 Blocks, The Mechanic and The Expendables 2, had been hired to handle scripting duties, but there was no news about a prospective helmer. Today it seems they have found their man - and it's an absolutely brilliant choice.

Deadline reports that Nicolas Winding Refn, the Danish filmmaker who is best known for making Bronson and Drive, has been chosen to direct The Equalizer and will begin negotiations with Sony Pictures and Escape Artists for the job. Described as a being only "loosely based" on the original series, the studio is aiming to have the movie in front of cameras by the end of spring next year, but there's no mention of when they are targeting having the movie ready for theaters. After sixth months of development Wenk is still the man with the pen, but it's unknown if that will change once Winding Refn is locked in (he is known for writing most of the films he directs, however, there are some exceptions).

Refn's next film, Only God Forgives, is currently in post-production, but doesn't currently have distribution in the United States. That said, look for the film, which stars Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas, to be released sometime in 2013.

After bonding hard on the stylish neo-noir film Drive, Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn seemed all set to revive their bromance on not one but two more movies, with plans to make both the Thai-boxing thriller Only God Forgives and the big studio remake of Logan's Run, which was set up at Warner Bros. But with Only God Forgives almost completed, that second reunion seems to have been scrapped.

Here's the news, a tweet from Variety's Justin Kroll:

There's no more reason given, but Gosling-- as you would expect for an up-and-coming star-- has a pretty busy schedule ahead of him. He's planning a spring start date for his directorial debut, a fantasy noir that will star his Drive co-star Christina Hendricks (more famous as Joan on Mad Men), and he's also been eyed by his Crazy, Stupid, Love directors to reunite with his co-star Emma Stone in their next film. All that on top of January promotional duties for Gangster Squad, and you can see how Gosling is simply running out of time.

On top of all that, Logan's Run always seemed like an odd choice for Gosling. Yes, a remake of a 70s science fiction property can totally work, as proven by last year's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but Gosling has seemed pretty committed to forging his own, unconventional path through Hollywood; he hasn't made a big, traditional action thriller yet, so why would he start now that he's a big star? Hopefully he and Winding Refn are still pals and will find something to reunite on, but right now I don't mind seeing Gosling slip away from this one.

(Winding Refn and Gosling image via Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com)

Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn's collaboration with Ryan Gosling Drive was easily one of the most talked about films of 2011. Not only did the drama about an unnamed driver besotted by a struggling single mom win nearly universal praise among critics, it also sparked outrage among mainstream moviegoers who—based on the slick trailers and movie idol poster—expected the drama to be in the vein of The Fast and The Furious franchise. This sparked debates about what's fair game in movie marketing as well as a renewed discussion about movie violence.

While some (myself included) feel the film's brutal violence is what kept it from earning noteworthy award honors Stateside—like a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod for Albert Brooks, or any major award nomination for Gosling's nearly silent yet stirring portrayal—none of this stopped the protagonist known only as The Driver from becoming instantly iconic from the toothpick between his pert lips to the white satin jacket emblazoned with a scorpion that no other man alive can pull off. (Seriously, guys, stop trying.)

Refn knows the allure of The Driver, and while he's dead-set against making a Drive sequel, he recently confessed to The Evening Standard (via The Playlist) that he's considering folding the character into a future film. He tells the paper:

Curiously, The Playlist points out there will be a sort-of sequel to Drive though not one Refn's is involved with. See, the film was based on a book by James Sallis, and the author recently revealed that a movie is in the works for Driven, his sequel to the first book. Of course, since Refn has declared he won't do a sequel, it's hard to imagine his friend and collaborator Gosling would don his satin jacket for someone else. So until more details emerge on Driven, let's ponder what Refn does have in mind for The Driver.

My first thought is sort of a reverse trajectory of La Femme Nikita to Leon: The Professional, where we've gotten a story that centers on The Driver, and now he can become an intriguing—and surely welcomed—supporting character in another crime drama. To be honest, as much as I adored Drive and all it entailed, I don't want to learn more about The Driver, because a big part of the glory of that film is how sparse it was on his background—or even his name—and yet how impactful it was. I think Refn knows better than to destroy that, and so I'll be curious to see how he might bring his Driver back into the fold.

Gaumont International Television, the American based production and distribution offshoot of the famed European feature studio, continues to add to their incredibly intriguing line-up of new programs. GIT is already behind Bryan Fuller's small screen reworking of Thomas Harris' famous character Hannibal as well as Eli Roth's turn to television with the horror story Hemlock Grove and now they've set their sights on Nicolas Winding Refn's vision for counter culture icon Barbarella.

Deadline reports that GIT and producer Martha De Laurentiis have teamed up with the hot Danish director to bring Jean-Claude Forest's famous character to TV. The potential Barbarella television series would be based on Forest's graphic novel about a highly-sexualized heroine from a distant future tasked with hunting down and defeating the evil Durand-Durand. The story was made famous thanks to the cult classic 1968 sci-fi movie of the same name directed by Roger Vadim and staring Jane Fonda.

As Deadline's story notes, De Laurentiis’ late husband, Dino, had been busy working on a Barbarella movie for some time before his death two years ago. There was ongoing talk of Robert Rodriguez directing Rose McGowan in the picture but the last whispers we heard were the 2010 rumors that the film was finally moving forward with Anne Hathaway of all people in the lead. As interesting as that, or the Rodriguez-McGowan, version may have been, the project being put together by Gaumont sounds far more promising.

I mean, just listen to the sound of 'Nicolas Winding Refn's Barbarella.' Pretty rad right? GIT CEO Katie O’Connell agrees stating how they "are thrilled to have secured the rights... and to be pairing the bold visceral style of Nicolas Refn with the pop culture icon Barbarella.” And the company is clearly invested in the young filmmaker since they have, well, literally invested in two of his next features including Only God Forgives which reteams him with his muse Ryan Gosling. Perhaps the director even had some sway in convincing Gaumont to go with Mads Mikkelsen as their Hannibal since the actor has starred in several of Refn's films.

Speaking of stars, who might they have in mind to fill the role made famous by Fonda? If schedules permit, I wouldn't be surprised if Refn turned to his Drive supporting actress Christina Hendricks because, not only does she have the look, but she was also his first choice when fantasy casting the Wonder Woman movie he wants to make. Hendricks is amazing on Mad Men and her brief turn on Firefly makes me think she's could pull off Barbarella, what do you think?

Nicolas Winding Refn is quickly becoming one of the biggest names in independent film, after breaking out with his Danish action films The Pusher Trilogy, moving on to the bruising, inventive, pseudo-biopic Bronson, and then practically setting the world on fire last fall with Drive. OK, sure, Drive barely made any money, it got nominated for precious few awards, and not every critic thought it was the greatest thing to ever happen to cars and Los Angeles. But plenty did, enough to put Drive on their list of the year's 10 best films, and to put Refn on nearly everyone's radar as an up and coming director worth watching.

Refn has already moved on to his next project, reuniting with Drive's Ryan Gosling for Only God Forgives, a crime-filled drama currently shooting Thailand and apparently beating the snot out of Gosling. But even though he's just now getting his start as a big-name director, Refn is already lending his name out as a producer as well. Daily Grindhouse learned in an interview with William Lustig and Larry Cohen that Refn will be joining the two of them to produce a prequel to Maniac Cop, the 1988 action/horror film starring Bruce Campbell as a young cop on the trail of the titular killer. It's a lesser-known title but one popular enough to earn two sequels and a Blu-Ray release, and now Lustig-- who directed the original film-- and Cohen, its screenwriter, are ready to revive it.

It's unclear how involved Refn will be, or what the story will involve other than a "bigger budget" than the previous films, but Refn's name definitely adds another level of interest here, making it more than just two guys trying to revive a movie from their heyday. As someone who could barely handle the level of violence in Drive, I'm not really in the target audience for this revival-- but if you are, let your excitement be known in the comments.

Last year, heartthrob Ryan Gosling and Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn proved an incredible filmmaking team with the sleek and stunning thriller Drive. So few were surprised when Gosling agreed to reteam for Refn's next effort, the Bangkok-set cop drama Only God Forgives. In this feature, which is now shooting on location in Thailand, Gosling stars as a crime boss's son who is looking to expand the breadth of their business to the Thai market. However, while exploring the possibilities abroad, he and his brother get involved in a murder investigation and thereby become entangled with a local police lieutenant known as the Angel of Vengeance. Their confrontation ultimately comes to a head in a treacherous Thai boxing arena. And from the looks of the image below, Gosling may well take a beating there.

In this photograph from US Weekly,Gosling is shown in the remnants of a vibrant blue suit, covered in blood with his face covered in gruesome makeup. Looking severly pummeled, Gosling barely resembles the handsome leading man adored by the whole of North American women. Unfortunately, this shot seems to reveal about Only God Forgives is that Gosling's gangster has a flair for fashion and gets badly battered in during the course of the film. Which really, those who've seen Drive could have assumed.

Only God Forgives is slated to open in the Netherlands on March 28th, 2013. No date has yet been announced for the film's Stateside debut, but distributions deals for North America are in the works, so a release announcement should be made soon.

Today Nicolas Winding Refn's controversial crime-drama Drive makes its debut on Blu-ray and DVD. To celebrate Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has unleashed the film's first seven minutes, available below courtesy of Coming Soon:

Drive stars tumblr-loved leading man Ryan Gosling as a Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver. This premise--along with a deceptive marketing campaign--led many moviegoers last fall to expect Drive to be an action-packed flick in the vein of the high-octane Fast and the Furious franchise. However, rather than a full-throttle car-chase extravaganza, Drive is a meditative and moody exploration of a star-crossed romance between Gosling's driver and a young mother played by rising starlet Carey Mulligan, a love story that is occasionally punctuated with grisly violence. While this misconception helped boost Drive's opening weekend numbers, it also spurred some furious patrons to pursue a class-action lawsuit against the feature's distributor, FilmDistrict, claiming they had been purposely misled to buy their tickets.

Perhaps Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is looking to set the record straight by releasing the film's opening to the web. In this clip we're introduced to Gosling's enigmatic stuntman, his rules for getaway driving, his car-savvy cohort played by Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston, and the beginnings of the chase featured in the film's trailer. Notably, here the heist isn't pumped up with a slick and chilly soundtrack. Instead, Gosling's silent driver is the picture of calm as the sharp ticking of the clock pronounces the soon-to-close window for his work. Cleverly, the clip cuts off just as the getaway literally kicks into high gear, teasing viewers with just a taste of what Drive has in store.

Both the Drive Blu-ray and DVD include four behind-the-scenes featurettes, as well as an interview with the film's director, Nicolas Winding Refn. The Blu-ray also offers an UltraViolet Digital Copy. Available now.

Drive is a fairly intricate movie. The plot is simple enough – Ryan Gosling's Driver falls for Carey Mulligan's Irene, only to find out her family is being threatened by notorious mobsters. Gosling’s character puts his superb driving skills to use to help keep Irene and her young son stay safe. But director Nicolas Winding Refn takes the piece a giant leap further, not only dousing Drive with a unique style and tone, but also with his incredible attention to detail. Everything in Drive has a reason; every element has a value and that’s something you’d think would require a great deal of preparation – but not for Refn.

In honor of the film’s September 16th release, Refn sat down to talk about his experience bringing James Sallis’ book to life. Surprisingly, Refn isn’t working with detailed script notes or even a shot list; elements went into this movie as they came to Refn’s mind and a great deal of that happened in the midst of shooting. When we’re used to seeing filmmakers assemble features based on studio standards, something like Drive sticks out, for this isn’t a piece that conforms to anyone’s preferences except Refn’s. Hear more about his process in the video interview below.

I was in the audience at the Los Angeles Film Festival when Nicolas Winding Refn told the crowd that if he were ever going to make a movie about Wonder Woman he would choose Christina Hendricks to star. Some people took this to mean that the Danish filmmaker was actively working on a Wonder Woman project and was announcing Hendrick's involvement. While he may have an idea what he'd like to do with the property, there didn't seem to be any guarantee that he was actively pursuing it. Now recent comments have revealed that Winding Refn does, in fact, have some real interest in the project.

While participating in a Q&A during the Empire Big Screen '11, the filmmaker revealed that he would love to bring the DC Comics heroine to the big screen with Christina Hendricks in the role, but that "Warner Bros haven’t called yet." According to The Playlist, Winding Refn then said that his remake of Logan's Run has been moving forward and that he may use the project as a means to convince the studio that he would be the right man to make the movie. Said Winding Refn, "I think someone said to me in a meeting that if I get Logan’s Run right, then I’ll get Wonder Woman."

Given how the Drive helmer's words were twisted at LAFF, I'm inclined to take these quotes with a grain of salt as he could just be joking. That said, I'd be incredibly curious to see Winding Refn's take on Wonder Woman and I would never in a million years complain about seeing Christina Hendricks in a corset, short-shorts and knee-high boots.

It's no secret how much I love Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive. I saw the film at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June and I don't believe a day since that I haven't referenced it or even thought about it in some way (I even have three framed posters hanging up in my apartment now). Hands down it is my favorite film of the year. Needless to say I've been dying to talk to the people who made the film and at this year's Comic Con I got just that opportunity, invited to participate in a roundtable interview with the film's director.

In the movie, based on the book by James Sallis, Ryan Gosling stars as a man who works as a stuntman by day and a getaway driver by night. After meeting and getting to know his beautiful next door neighbor (Carey Mulligan), his life is thrown into a tailspin after her boyfriend (Oscar Isaac) is released from prison. The unnamed protagonist agrees to do a job with the boyfriend, but when things go horribly wrong he suddenly finds himself and everyone he cares about in mortal danger.

Check out the video interview below in which Nicolas Winding Refn discusses the film's brutality, the incredibly soundtrack filled with 80s-esque synthpop and his experience filming in Los Angeles for the first time.

Things looked pretty fantastic for director John Moore this morning. Following the departure of Noam Murro, a report came out that said Fox had offered the Max Payne filmmaker the chance to make Die Hard 5. Now things aren't looking as solid. While Moore is still in the running for the job, Deadline has learned that he has some pretty stiff competition.

According to the new story, Joe Cornish (who released his first feature film, Attack The Block, this past weekend); Justin Lin (who seems to be in the running for every franchise movie these days); and Nicolas Winding Refn (who has earned unyielding praise for his newest film, Drive) have all joined Moore on the shortlist of directors that may take John McClane on his fifth adventure. In debunking the story from earlier today, the site says that Moore has not yet begun meeting with studio heads about the gig, but they are interested as all of his previous features have been under the studio's label. The script, written by Skip Woods (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The A-Team), is said to bring the action hero to Russia and Bruce Willis is set to play the character again.

What a bizarre group of potential choices. While both Lin and Moore have experience with big blockbusters, both Cornish and Winding Refn have both spent their careers making much more modestly budgeted pieces. Obviously the latter two are much more interesting choices, but I also hate the idea of such creative filmmakers potentially being censored by a studio known for being overprotective of its franchises. As much as I'd love to see Winding Refn's take on the John McClane saga, I think it would be much more fulfilling to see him make more movies like Drive, Bronson and the upcoming Only God Forgives. Whoever they pick from this group, it should be a pretty solid indication of the direction where the movie will go.

The FIlmDistrict panel in Hall H this afternoon was an uncommon Hall H panel in a lot of ways. A brand-new distributor trying to make its name with audiences, FilmDistrict was repping two movies you might not ordinarily try to present to 5,000 screaming fans-- the indie haunted house movie Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark, and the Cannes hit Drive. Both movies feature recognizable stars like Guy Pearce and Carey Mulligan, but still, you gotta have a gimmick in Hall H, so a trailer introducing the panel described it as a "mash-up," combining panels for two films "by visionary filmmakers who defy ordinary conventions."

As explained when the filmmakers and cast from both films took the stage, the mash-up was apparently the brainchild of Guillermo del Toro, the producer of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark who put the two films together because "I wanted to meet this insane motherfucker." He said that while gesturing to Nicolas Winding Refn, the Danish director of Drive who previously made Bronson and Valhalla Rising. Refn, wearing thick glasses and a crisp white shirt, basically just smiled and went along with it-- you get the feeling he's not entirely sure why he's at Comic Con either.

But even with Guillermo del Toro using the word "fuck" in every other sentence and captivating the room with his usual charm, Refn more than held his own, claiming that when you cast a movie well "it's like sex" and coming up with what should be a classic bon mot about directing: "Directing is really easy, guys. It's just inspiring everyone else to give their best and then you put your name on it." He and del Toro went on to have a fairly in-depth conversation about filmmaking and genre and picking their projects, talking about film in the thoughtful way that you only occasionally see at filmmaker Q&As, and pretty much never see at Comic Con. Refn talked about fairy tale inspirations for the movie, about working with characters as archetypes, about defying the genre of each of the films he's made-- his thoughtfulness combined with del Toro's characteristic bluntness made for probably the most interesting conversation I've ever seen at Comic Con.

As for footage, they kicked things off with the trailer for Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, but from the first moment of the trailer for Drive the focus of the panel had shifted entirely. The trailer, which is not yet online, seemed to present both a tense, almost archetypal action thriller and a moody, almost romantic art film. From what I've heard it's a combination of both, and while I'm afraid the trailer might have given away more than I wanted to see, it presented a pretty irresistible pitch for a thriller that doesn't look like anything I've seen before.

After a little more chatter they presented a scene from the film that confirmed the combination of romance and action in the trailer was no accident. Ryan Gosling's character, a stunt driver who also drives getaway cars for bank heists, enters an elevator with Carey Mulligan's character, a single mother who's also his love interest. Also in the elevator is a strange man who has a gun positioned in his jacket in just the way that indicates trouble. For a long, slow moment Gosling pulls Mulligan to a corner of the elevator and kisses her; then he slams the guy's head into the elevator wall and kicks it in until there's nothing but blood left.

Nobody in the room squealed when Gosling kissed Mulligan, which is how you know the Twilight crowd from this morning was gone, but they did groan in unison at the most violent shot of the scene. As the panel went on and Refn told hilarious stories about his disastrous "first date" with Gosling, it was clear an audience that largely showed up to see del Toro was completely captivated by Drive.

Does this mean that the Comic Con crowd has been convinced to check out a movie that won Best Director at Cannes? I think we've all learned by now that's impossible to predict, especially for a movie that appears to be as uncommon as Drive. I distinctly remember sitting in this room when the crowd went wild for Kick-Ass and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and we all know how well that popularity translated to the real world. Then again, the expectations for a movie like Drive are completely different-- the fact that it was such a hit at Comic Con this afternoon indicates potential for a bigger audience than I think anyone imagined. By joking around and telling some sex jokes up onstage today, del Toro and Refn may have changed the formula entirely for what Comic Con success means.

Now that NBC has given up on turning Wonder Woman into a TV series by passing on their already filmed pilot, we can get back down to the business of covering Wonder Woman movie rumors. Here’s the latest: Christina Hendricks could be the favorite to play the Amazonian superhero.

Rumor of her possible involvement comes from the Los Angeles Film Festival, where last night Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn told the assembled crowd that he “has a plan in mind” for a Wonder Woman feature. Whether he’s actually doing anything with that plan is anyone’s guess, he’s been talking about doing this since 2010 and nothing has come of it. With the TV series out of the way though, maybe the time is right, and according to NY Mag he already has his star picked out. During the discussion Refn pointed to Drive actress Christina Hendricks and said, “If I ever get to do it, she's going to be it.”

Who exactly will she be in it? It’s worth nothing that Refn didn’t come right out and say he wanted her to wield Wonder Woman’s golden lasso, he just said he wanted her in the movie. I suppose he could just throw her in for some sort of cameo. But let’s assume for the sake of argument that he wants her for his Wonder Woman. That would be just fine with Hendricks, who’s been only too happy in the past to tell the world about her love of the character. Last year she even went on Rachel Ray and admitted to wearing Wonder Woman underoos.

Still, there are an awful lot of ifs here. If Refn actually has a studio interested in making his project, and if that studio would consent to cast an actress primarily known (but not really that well known at all) for her work on a basic cable television show (AMC’s Mad Men) and if they could find a Wonder Woman costume which can actually fit around Christina’s overtly female proportions, then we might have a good idea for a decent, female-led superhero movie here. Wonder Woman as a busty redhead? I can dig it. Anything’s better than what NBC did, by casting the character as a bland brunette with a penchant for wearing pants.

I’ve never heard a film quite like Drive before. It’s a strange thing to say when talking about a movie, a medium largely recognized for its visual qualities, but it needs to be said. Every little rev of an engine and bullet fired is perfectly measured in both design and volume, building relentless tension with silence and then going nuclear with blasts of sound, making ears bleed and wedging audience members into that tight space between the cushion and the back of seat. The most incredible thing, though? Between the gripping performances, the stunning lighting, the perfect soundtrack and the taut script, the sound is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the brilliance that is director Nicolas Winding Refn’s newest film.

When we first meet Driver (Ryan Gosling), a character never given a real name, he is in his apartment on the phone arranging a deal with the man on the other line to act as a wheelman for a robbery. But that’s only his night job. By day he works in an auto garage and as a stuntman, both jobs done with his friend Shannon (Bryan Cranston) at his side. Driver then meets and gets to know his next door neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan), and her young son (Kaden Leos), and everything seems to be going perfectly. Then Irene’s boyfriend, Standard (Oscar Isaac), is released from prison and while Driver is hesitant at first, he eventually agrees to help Standard hold up a pawn shop to settle debts from when he was incarcerated. When the job goes wrong, however, Driver finds himself not only needing to protect himself, but everyone he cares about.

The true brilliance behind Drive rests in the Winding Refn’s direction, which is as immaculate as filmmaking gets. There isn’t a single shadow or light source placed without extreme care and there isn’t a single angle or frame that doesn’t scream of heavy consideration (what he does with reflective surfaces is practically poetic). What’s most impressive about the director’s style, however, is that he isn’t afraid of the films harsher content. Just as he did in previous efforts such as Bronson and Valhalla Rising, Winding Refn shows the extreme consequences of his characters’ actions and the results are will straighten the spine of every movie-goer. Most importantly, the visceral style never feels gratuitous or like it’s glorifying the actions of the characters. The entire film is grounded in reality which only makes every punch hit harder. Once this film hits theaters Nicolas Winding Refn is guaranteed to become an instant star.

Deserving its own place in the sun is the film’s soundtrack. Matching the pink, 80s-esque title font, the track listing largely consists of energetic synth-pop from bands like College, Kavinsky and Desire. While one would think that the tones would clash horribly, the contrast always works in the film’s favor and the songs are strategically placed as not to interfere with the more intense moments and break the tension. For these moments attention must be turned towards composer Cliff Martinez, who bridges the gaps between songs and keeps the music consistent by using a synthesizer of his own, but also provides a great deal of subtlety and lets the action in each scene speak for itself.

It’s impossible not to talk about Drive and not mention the brilliant performances from each member of the cast. At the center of it all is Gosling, who balances a role that is both understated and intense. A soft spoken character who rarely delivers more than one line of dialogue at a time, much of Gosling’s performance comes from his eyes and simple expressions with which he sells the entire character. But while Driver may have the most screen time, Gosling is hardly the picture’s only star. Albert Brooks, who plays a hardened Jewish mobster named Bernie Rose, is one of the movie’s greatest surprises, as the character is completely against the actor’s type, but he truly embodies the character. Only making the performance more powerful is that the script by Hossein Amini allows Rose to actually be funny at times, letting the audience express their natural reaction to seeing Brooks on screen, but when Rose gets down to business Brooks becomes a performer that we’ve never quite seen before. Not a single role in the film is miscast and everyone puts on their A-game.

While the film isn’t set to come out until September, I will close out this review by saying this: see Drive in big screens as many times as you can and only in the best theaters you can find. While every element of the movie stands up, it’s a film that demands to be on a big screen with the greatest speakers imaginable. As for me, I plan on asking for vacation days the week after the film is released and buying a whole new stereo system when it comes out on home video. It’s worth every penny.

A lot of people more accustomed to actor-centric indies and heavy drama will be slumming it lowbrow for Drive. The film will be directed by Bronson helmer Nicolas Winding Refn and is set to star Ryan Gosling, and now THR reports that Carey Mulligan and the previously announced Bryan Cranston have signed on in major roles as well. Between Mulligan's recent Oscar nomination and Cranston's back-to-back Emmys for Breaking Bad, that's a lot of acclaim for two people signing on to a movie about a bank robber on the run.

But then again, when smart and talented people sign on to make something lowbrow, the results can be fantastic. And Drive definitely sounds like the kind of movie you want to allow yourself to see-- based on the novel by James Sallis, it will star Gosling as a Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for bank robberies, and eventually winds up on the run with his someone else's girlfriend (Mulligan) in the passenger seat. Cranston would presumably be representing the side of the law in this scenario, though watching him go from meth-dealing Walter White on Breaking Bad to a bank robber would be pretty fun as well.

Universal is also holding casting calls for actors to play "tough inner-city L.A. characters" in the film, which means production could get started this fall. With Gosling's Blue Valentine and Mulligan's Never Let Me Go both coming out last this year, it's entirely possible we'll see the two of them walking various awards show red carpets all while filming a getaway movie together. Contrast-- I like it.

If you see anything today even a little bit more brutal than this mash up of clips from Nicolas Winding Refn's Valhalla Rising, you seriously need to re-evaluate your life. I'm a proud owner of Riki-Oh, a hyper-violent Chinese film from the early 90s, and this two-minute clip puts that entire movie to shame.

Refn's previous release Bronson also has a reputation for being incredibly ferocious, but after seeing this preview, Valhalla Rising may prove to be the bloodiest film of the new decade. Rising stars Mads Mikkelsen, who never ceases to impress me, as One-Eye, a mute warrior with supernatural strength who apparently has no qualms with straight tearing the guts out of his enemies.

I can't even wrap my head around how unabashedly brutal this series of clips is. There's no hint of story, no romance, no crappy voice over; it's just pure, unadulterated barbarism and it is god damn glorious.

People with weak stomachs, this is your last chance to click away.

Official Synopsis: One-Eye, a mute warrior of supernatural strength, has been held prisoner by the chieftain Barde. Aided by a boy, Are, he kills his captor and together they escape, beginning a journey into the heart of darkness. On their flight, One-Eye and Are board a Viking vessel but the ship is soon engulfed by an endless fog that first disintegrates as they sight an unknown land. As the new land reveals its secrets and the Vikings meet a ghastly fate, One-Eye discovers his true self.