The moody, violent “Drive” begins with the best single sequence on film in 2011. Ryan Gosling plays an unnamed driver for hire on what is, for him, a routine evening of evading police helicopters and squad cars.

This isn’t a fast cutting car chase out of the “Bourne” franchise. The Driver takes the most logical route, and takes only the amount of turns necessary to avoid capture. There are no crazy stunts because a good driver wouldn’t need them.

“Drive” features three distinct car sequences, but it shouldn’t be classified as a “car chase movie.” This is classic noir territory, with Gosling’s Driver trapped between the girl next door, a heist gone wrong and a couple of ruthless gangsters.

The plotting of “Drive” follows familiar genre conventions. Good guy mechanic by day, wheelman by night, the reclusive Driver forms an unlikely bond with a neighbor (Carey Mulligan) and her young son. When her husband returns home from prison, the Driver is reluctantly forced into a questionable heist. Meanwhile, his mentor (Bryan Cranston) makes a risky business deal with a couple of local goons (Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks).

The difference is the execution. Director Nicolas Winding Refn (“Bronson”) makes “Drive” all about mood, stripping away the fast cutting and ridiculous action sequences of its genre siblings. In its place we have stunning cinematography, a low-key, retro soundtrack and tension generated by situation and amplified by long, uninterrupted shots.

“Drive” benefits from its stellar cast, led by Gosling, who probably has less than 20 lines of full-sentence dialogue despite appearing in nearly every scene. Mulligan and Cranston can do no wrong, and Perlman and Christina Hendricks make strong impressions in limited screen time. And turns out funnyman Albert Brooks makes for one terrifying villain.

While casual filmgoers will appreciate its brilliant opening sequence, “Drive” is more methodically paced than even its spare marketing campaign suggests. The violence, however, will likely take some audiences by surprise. It all gets pretty brutal in the second half, maybe even to the point of distraction. Still, the other brilliant sequence in “Drive,” which takes place in an elevator, ends with the film’s most gruesome act.

The most interesting talking point of “Drive” is how inconsequential the story is to the success of the movie. Plenty of lousy thriller-wannabes have followed similar plot twists and have utilized plenty of gratuitous violence.

Refn’s stylistic choices suggest that the only difference between a good noir and a bad one is a directorial point-of-view.

Grade: A-