Nicolas Winding Refn has been something of an underground favorite filmmaker to action junkies and indie cinema heads for years. It all started with his awesome Pusher trilogy, which starred Mads Mikkelsen(amongst others) and followed the seedy Copenghagen crime scene. The harsh lighting and bass heavy beats would become a Refn staple. Little known fact is that the two sequels were put together in an attempt to save Refn's production company from bankruptcy.
Ever since, Refn has indulged in making movies that put unique spins on established genre. 2008's Bronson, a violent biopic of notorious criminal Michael Gordon Peterson, proved to be Tom Hardy's breakout performance. Refn, however, stayed out of the mainstream, re-teaming with Mikkelsen on 2009's Valhalla Rising, probably the strangest Viking flick you'll ever see.
But with Drive, Refn steps confidently into Hollywood, streaking on the back of incredible buzz generated on the festival circuit. The film is a sleek, stylish, ultra-violent noir about a Hollywood stunt driver(Ryan Gosling) who moonlights as a wheelman for the criminal element. He gets in a little over his head when he's sucked into a shady deal with an unscrupulous filmmaker/gangster, forcing him to take violent action to protect the people he cares about, including the woman he may even love(Carey Mulligan).
Alongside my colleagues Alan Zilberman and Roxana Hadadi, I had the chance to talk to Refn about breaking through the Hollywood barriers; working with his newfound buddy Ryan Gosling, and how his movies are actually very feminine...
