The Driver – Review

The driver (O’Neal) approaches a desired car in a dark parking lot, quickly breaking in and hotwiring it. He revs the engine gently then pulls out with a skid, eventually cruising out of the parking facility onto the city streets.

In a gambling den players smoke and play poker, and the driver pulls out front nearby. A female poker player (Adjani) ends her hand, takes her chips and retreats to cash out. Our driver stoically waits outside. After one last look over the tables, the lady gambler strolls out, and our driver kicks the car into drive and zips into the back alleys. Inside, masked men charge into the smokey poker den.

As the masked men come rushing out with their loot into back alleys, the driver picks them out, and the lady card player happens to be there to witness the villainous retreat (along with a few other den players). Is she a threat?

As the detective (Dern) plays pool, his partner (Clark) notifies him of a 211 in progress that was called in on the southside near Lincoln. The detective prophetically calls out casino, which is confirmed by the other cop. The duo believe it’s the same stunt that was pulled 6 months ago at the location.

As patrol vehicles close in on the driver and his getaway goons, he shows us why he is behind the wheel, whipping it really good. Will he get away? Probably, or it would be a short movie. Buuut thankfully the film does go places from here story-wise as the police investigation opens up and nefarious parties enter the fray.

The Driver may be a basic crime tale, but it has a solid edge and good action. The wheelwork is slick, and the story feels genuine. The characters are mostly all smart enough to keep things interesting from both sides of the law. The Driver proves that all you need is a good wheelman.