The Driver (1978)

Written by CinemaSerf on June 4, 2023

This is probably more famous for having characters without names. Ryan O'Neal being the eponymous character whose getaway antics bring him to the attention of the pretty seedy detective Bruce Dern. What ensues is rather minimalist adventure film - I couldn't quite call it a thriller - depicting people without much of a moral compass living in surroundings that merely appear to legitimise their behaviour; regardless of upon which side of the law they sit. Great car chases, though - the pace certainly doesn't hang about - and both O'Neal and Dern are very much on form with the sheer force of the personality doing much of their acting for them. Isabelle Adjani features a bit too sparingly for me, her character had more to offer I thought, but all told Walter Hill has created a decent, though hardly original, and stylish movie that is high on the octane but maybe not so much on the writing and/or plot!