DRIVE!!!!

Where do I even begin. Besides the fact this movie was brutally violent, bloody, and just overall twisted/gory, I really liked it. I know in the eyes of Bauks it doesn't matter if I liked it or not, but for the sake of who I am I'm just going to say I flat out liked it and its overall puzzle pieces to the "puzzle". Everything essentially fit together and the motivation behind the main character, Ryan Gosling, actions was pure love... even though there were gruesome, bloody bits.
We know from the get-go that Gosling feels some type of connection to Irene, which is obvious to the viewer. We also see the connection that Irene indirectly feels to him as well. He almost immediately builds a relationship with Irene's son, Benicio, and Irene which is the underlying reason for all of Gosling's actions throughout the film. If it wasn't for Irene and what he felt for her, he would have no reason to get involved with Standard's, Irene's husband, misfortunes and "the criminal world" that came along with it. He did it for Irene and for the sake of her protection. He was willing to put himself on the line, while killing multiple individuals, for her sake.
However, at the end of the film when he ultimately leaves the bag of money on the pavement and drives away, I know that it was never about the money. And you can tell that in Gosling's character and his genuine nature. He wanted to protect Irene due to how much he cares for her and that's it. It didn't even matter if he became "together with her" at the end, he just cared enough about her to make sure she's always safe.
The movie classified as being a "crime thriller film" essentially was a twisted love story. It wasn't the "classic and cheesy" love story we see so often, but those severe challenges were dealt with by the passion/love of both Irene and Gosling.