Unusual, but not completely successful. What happens when a salaryman is cursed by karma from his suicidal parents, and suddenly finds himself having to drive three thieves to pursue a confederate? The results are sometimes a bit spooky, always artsy, and surprisingly lacking in dramatic tension. DRIVE has low-budget/indie written all over it - which can be a good thing - but the plot (like the main character) is always well under the speed limit for this type of film. After a fascinating opening section on the possible headaches plaguing the main character (underplayed by Shin'ichi Tsutsumi), the plot unfolds unevenly and (like the main character) stops for overlong stretches of time. One character spends unnaturally long periods with his arm in a hole; another spouts Buddhist tracts during a heavy metal concert; yet another reconnects with a girlfriend. I can't say that many of the transactions between characters are particularly riveting.
On one hand, you end up rooting for DRIVE's indie spirit; on the other, you wish the film could have done more with it.
