The Weekly Movie Watch Volume 66

This week I watched The Driver.

I watch movies every week and then write down my thoughts. Read my previous reviews!
My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it.

The Driver - Stick to the rule of cool.

The Driver (1978)
Watch The Driver
Written by: Walter Hill
Directed by: Walter Hill
Starring: Ryan O'Neal, Bruce Dern, Isabelle Adjani
Rated: R

Plot:
Ryan O'Neal plays the character known only as 'Driver', an infamous getaway driver doggedly pursued by a cop played by Bruce Dern.

Review:
The Driver is a minamalist film. There isn't even a score, and no one's name is spoken in the film. O'Neal is referred to as the driver or cowboy. Neither Dern of O'Neal are fleshed out with any backstory. It's on the actors to convey who these men are.
This movie heavily influenced Ryan Gosling and Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive. Drive in essence is remake for the current era, further developing the near silent driver and adding style. I like Drive more, but it's a in a completely different era.
The plot is focused and measured. It's easy to like the driver, despite how little he speaks, because that provides the viewer a chance to make up a personality for him. The only thing we know about the driver is that he is the best. 
For a movie with a lot of car chases, I didn't think they were very good. I was hoping this film would provide car chase sequences along the lines of the film Ronin. The lone standout driving scene is when a rag-tag group of bank robbers, who are working with the cop Dern, want to hire the driver but question his ability. The driver destroys their orange Mercedes in an impressive display of skill and precision. It's a small scene, but completely satisfying as he's both offended and just doesn't like them. 
I bet it was modern feeling for it's time, though it doesn't feel that fresh any more. That style has been improved upon, but I like the cop versus criminal aspect. 

Verdict: 
The Driver is a cool movie. O'Neal is cool as ice as he thwarts the cop trying to bring him down. This movie is focused on the trap the cop has set for the driver. We don't get into side stories or anything that would complicate the plot, which is refreshing. While the car chases have been eclipsed since '78, it's still worth seeing.
It depends.