The Driver (1978)

Known as the fastest getaway driver on high stakes robbery jobs, a loner (Ryan O'Neal) is relentlessly pursued by a police detective (Bruce Dern) obsessed with catching him, even if he has to operate outside the law. Written and directed by Walter Hill (THE WARRIORS), this neo noir crime thriller is overflowing with style but not much else. If you're into movie car chases (think BULLITT or FRENCH CONNECTION), this might be your jam. It's one of those films where the cops (in this case, Bruce Dern) is so sleazy that you're automatically on side of the criminal (O'Neal). But no one is as smart as he thinks he is and O'Neal's lack of foresight results in some unnecessary deaths. The only character I liked was Ronee Blakley, who didn't deserve the fate the movie dished out to her. The film initially received weak notices but the ensuing years have made it a genre favorite among directors like Quentin Tarantino. None of the characters have names but are referred to by their place in the narrative. Thus, O'Neal is The Driver, Dern is The Cop, Isabelle Adjani (in her American film debut) is The Player, Ronee Blakley is The Connection, etc. O'Neal seems to be channeling Alan Ladd and his minimal performance is actually an asset to the film. The film was an influence on DRIVE (2011) and BABY DRIVER (2017). With Matt Clark and Felice Orlandi.