Driven

Driven is an engaging drama-comedy-thriller that contrives to spin the wild narrative around one of the crazy episodes in the American automotive industry. Directed by Nick Hamm in 2018, the film weaves together an unlikely web of events surrounding the rise and fall of John DeLorean, the legendary car manufacturer, and his connection with a charming but small-time pilot turned FBI informant. The movie rides on the shoulders of a talented ensemble that includes Jason Sudeikis, Lee Pace, and Judy Greer, who together create a tangible atmosphere of tension, comedy, and drama.

The backdrop of Driven is set in the heady, vibrant late 70s and early 80s, a time burgeoning with innovation but also rife with an underbelly of deceit and betrayal. The lead character is Jim Hoffman, played to charming perfection by Jason Sudeikis, known for his comedic genius from Saturday Night Live. Hoffman is a charismatic pilot who moonlights as a drug mule. When the law catches up with him, he agrees to turn into an FBI informant, a turn of events that adds a layer of tension to the comedy-drama.

Driven illustrates the remarkable yet flamboyant character of John DeLorean, portrayed by Lee Pace, famous for his roles in The Hobbit series and Guardians of the Galaxy. DeLorean is depicted as the James Bond of the car industry, a maverick who creates DeLorean Motor Company, setting out to revolutionize the industry with the DeLorean DMC-12, best known for its iconic gull-wing doors and brushed stainless-steel outer body shell. However, his dream vehicle creation project is riddled with financial challenges.

The movie threads together Hoffman's and DeLorean's worlds when they become neighbors in an upscale California society. Hoffman is taken by DeLorean's charisma, confidence and taste for lifestyle, and DeLorean sees in Hoffman a potential financial savior for his company. As the two get deeper into each other's lives, their personal and professional expectations get intertwined, leading to a comic yet dramatic series of events.

On the domestic side, Judy Greer delivers a poignant performance as Hoffman's wife, Ellen. Greer provides a grounded contrast to her husband's duplicitous life and DeLorean's flamboyance, and her interactions with the two men lend a fascinating dimension to the narrative.

The screenplay by Colin Bateman and Alejandro Carpio deftly navigates the drama and comedy, while also delving into the characters' intimate struggles with their aspirations and moralities. Their dialogue, particularly for Sudeikis and Pace, is richly textured, painting an image of men driven by their ambitions and backed into their own unique corners, and these clashes provide a captivating blend of comedy and existential pathos.

On a technical level, Driven is a visual treat, capturing the ambience of the late 70s and early 80s with attention to detail that extends from the sets to the characters' wardrobes. The cinematography carefully balances the glamour and excess of the era, with the darkness and melancholy that underlies the characters' journeys. The film's precise editing keeps the pacing brisk, effortlessly switching between the threads of comedy and thriller.

The film deftly avoids becoming a standard biopic by focusing on the unusual friendship between Hoffman and DeLorean. By pitching the narrative through Hoffman's perspective - an outsider looking into the world of high-stakes entrepreneurship - the film gains a unique vantage point.

With its pulsating energy, vivid period detail, stellar performances, deft writing, and skilful direction, Driven works both as a comedy and a drama, and offers an unconventional peek into a fascinating chapter of automotive history. The movie ensures there is more than enough drama, suspense, comedy, and character complexities to keep audiences locked in their seats, thoroughly entertained, and quietly pondering about the ramifications of ambition and the cost of dreams.