Retroactive Castings: Drive (1990s)

Directed by Michael Mann

I thought of Wong Kar-wai (for a reason I'll get onto in a bit), but choosing Mann seemed too good a chance to pass up. Mann's one of the few directors with two films in my top 100 list, but the funny thing is I'm generally not a huge fan. Most of his recent films, most notably Public Enemies, have been sorely average, and though I don't think the likes of Heat or Ali are bad I certainly don't like them all that much. I really like Last of the Mohicans though, and I love The Insider and Collateral especially. It's the latter, plus the early effort of Thief (1981) which is pretty much a 1980s Drive down to the conception of the villain and the 'silent driver' character. His visual style implemented with his masterful employment of silent moments, and his soundtrack panache (though I don't like all his films, I pretty much like all soundtracks to his films) would be great for it.

The Driver (Ryan Gosling): Johnny Depp/Cary Elwes/Tony Leung Chiu-wai/Ethan Hawke

Perhaps this will be a point of contention for some, hence I'm adding three choices (I should add that were this to be made in the 1980s, Tom Cruise would 100% be my choice). Anyway, each of these three actors would have made a terrific 1990s Driver.

For Leung, I'm quite proud of this choice. I'm no fan of Days of Being Wild, it being probably my least favourite Wong Kar-wai film, but I do love its ending a great deal. Namely because it features my favourite Hong Kong actor in a cameo role as a gambler of some sort. Without a single word Leung conveys the whole history of a man. It's a beautiful if a bit random scene, and on the basis of this, In the Mood for Love and Infernal Affairs I think he'd have the sufficient amount of of cool and emotional power to infuse into the role.

I'll just add these set of scenes to further emphasize my point. I actually kind of dislike the way Superintendent Wong's (Wong Chau-sang) death is directed here, the flashback isn't necessary at all especially because Leung delivers the emotional impact through his performance. The death of Keung (Chapman To) I've always felt is far more affecting (and possibly my favourite part of the film) because of the work of the actors, especially Leung, in silently bringing out the intensity of te moment. Add to that Leung looks the part of a Driver-esque figure.

Depp had yet to reach prime overacting mode in the 1990s, and if Edward Scissorhands is anything to go by he'd thrive in the difficult task of conveying words through silent expressions.

Elwes I'm a bit unsure about as the roles I best know him for, namely his turn in The Princess Bride as a charismatic prince and in Saw, are pretty talky roles. I'm choosing him mainly because he had the look and he certainly can act.

As for Hawke, I've never seen him in anything nearly as stylized, but he's a darn good actor, exceptionally naturalistic, had the boyish looks, he'd be perfect too.

Irene (Carey Mulligan): Gwyneth Paltrow

There's a reason Paltrow specialised in supporting roles like this in the early 1990s, she was as good at it as she was playing the scene-stealing sort of supporting turns in The Royal Tenenbaums later on. Like Mulligan she's a very charming actress, and like Mulligan I feel she'd be able to strike up the perfect dynamic with whoever played the Driver through her underrated dramatic depth.

Shannon (Bryan Cranston): Chris Cooper

Cooper like Cranston himself was a late bloomer sort of actor, and only started getting prominence well into his forties (though that's a bit earlier than Cranston who only really started becoming a household name in his fifties). Anyway, Cooper can do gruffness in his sleep, but what I'd see in this casting choice is an employment of that in a genial sort of way that would be perfect for Shannon, a guy who's lived a rough life and is a bit of a scoundrel, but a good man at heart.

Bernie (Albert Brooks): Gene Wilder

Imagine Willy Wonka stabbing someone to death with a fork. Same sort of effect having amiable New York comedian Albert Brooks play a menacing mobster villain had. I think Wilder would be absolutely brilliant being the talent he was. RIP indeed. :(

Standard (Oscar Isaac): Benicio del Toro

Del Toro spent most of the 1990s playing mobster after lowlife after mobster, and as his career in the 21st Century has shown he's capable of far more than just that, although he's very good at doing that as well. I'd originally envisioned Raul Julia in the role (since he's bascially the 1980s and 1990s version of Oscar Isaac), but Del Toro would be in the right sort of age category and it'd also have been a nice change of pace to see him as a decent guy for once.

Nino (Ron Perlman): Ron Perlman

Looking at Perlman in the 1990s and Perlman in the 2010s, he could've easily played the same role in two different decades.

Blanche (Christina Hendricks): Rosanna Arquette

The role itself is pretty thankless on the whole, more just a little cameo than anything more, but I think Arquette would fit this type of 'gun moll' role quite well.