DRIVEN: Occasionally Effective, But Held Back By Biopic Trappings

Driven is a movie based on true events that might not initially seem to be as such. It delves into the friendship between John DeLorean, the famous car manufacturer, and his neighbor Jim Hoffman, an FBI informant. Yet, you may not know the exact direction the film is taking just from its outset, and that’s what makes Driven a somewhat unusual biopic.

That’s not to say that it’s all effective, however. Director Nick Hamm‘s approach to the material may be inventive, but one can’t help but walk away from the film unshaken all the same. Despite a desire to move away from a traditional biopic, this film unfortunately becomes just that by its conclusion.

Unique Structure

Driven is told through the perspective of Jim Hoffman (Jason Sudeikis), a pilot who is eventually taken in as an FBI informant after being caught smuggling drugs across the border. He is told by Special Agent Benedict Tisa (Corey Stoll) that he must bring in Morgan Hetrick (Michael Cudlitz), a known drug smuggler, in exchange for his own freedom. Meanwhile, Jim has also recently become acquainted with his new neighbor, none other than John DeLorean (Lee Pace), and the two form a close friendship. Serving as a backdrop to these two subplots is Jim being questioned at a trial. We don’t yet know what has led to this point, but the film slowly fills us in on the details as time goes on.

Films that skip back and forth through time do sometimes feel gimmicky, as a way to break up a narrative in a way that feels fresher than simply telling it in a straighforward manner. Yet, it is surpisingly effective in Driven, not only breaking up the story in a way that keeps it flowing nicely but also giving us a somewhat unexpected twist in the middle of it. For those not familiar with the real story this film is based on, I would recommend not looking it up (really, don’t even watch the trailer), as it does make the film feel more unpredictable. This is one of the more effective aspects to Nick Hamm‘s direction, as he takes a true story, albeit an embellished one, and brings it to light in an imaginative way.

Talented Cast

Driven is populated with talented actors, especially Lee Pace, who is mostly known for his supporting roles in sci-fi/fantasy, such as Ronan the Accuser in Guardians of the Galaxy and Thranduil in The Hobbit series. Here, though, he shows off his chops as a towering leading man, stepping into the life-like, charismatic role of John DeLorean with ease. Alongside him is Jason Sudeikis, who despite providing the film with some of the more consistently humorous moments, unfortunately doesn’t handle the dramatic aspects as well. What doesn’t help matters is that the film doesn’t provide him with the adequate transitional period in his ultimate downward-spiraling character arc.

Populating the sidelines is Judy Greer, who is always a welcome sight to see, though like many of her films, she often gets brushed aside in favor of the film’s leading men. Corey Stoll adequately plays the film’s FBI agent, while Michael Cudlitz, who plays the criminal Morgan Hetrick, and his girlfriend Katy Connors, played by Erin Moriarty, both provide some welcome comic relief.

Yet it Still Feels Stale

Despite these positives, and the film itself being consistently watchable, one can’t help but walk away unmoved by Driven. Nick Hamm, as mentioned, along with screenwriter Colin Bateman, at least provide some fresh touches to their film, yet it still isn’t quite enough. For one, the film’s production design is nothing special. Filmed in Puerto Rico, it somewhat resembles 1970s Hollywood, but it never fully seems to come to life. Coming away from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which painstakingly recreates Los Angeles in the late 1960s, Driven feels uninspired in comparison. It may be a different decade, but it’s hard not to analyze the two side-by-side, and to single out Hollywood, despite its controversies, as a much more firmly-shaped and realized product.

Where Driven ultimately heads to is also what causes it to lose its steam. Though it admirably attempts to imbue each of its main characters into multilayered creations, it also depends on a single moment to resolve its conflict, one that, once you see it coming, feels as predictable as any dime-a-dozen biopic. Perhaps if there was more ambiguity before this point, then the ultimate choice here wouldn’t feel as anticlimactic.

Conclusion: Driven

To conlude, Driven is a film that, despite a unique structure and talented cast, doesn’t feel as inventive as it sets out to be. It’s held back by some uninspired production design, and an ending that falls short of the mark. Still, it’s hard not to at least be caught up in this very interesting story about one of the 20th century’s most imfamous historical figures.

What are your thoughts on Driven? Does it stand out to you as an unusual biopic?

Driven was released in the U.S. on August 16, 2019. For all international release dates, click here.