I realize this is a slightly weird thing to say, but I find the relationship between The Driver and Irene to be incredibly touching and weirdly ... well, realistic. Just the way he plays with the kid, the way they fall for each other, the way she pulls back when Standard gets out, the way The Driver accepts it.
And I think it's partly/mostly/entirely because Oscar Isaac does such a good job of making himself seem likable to both of them despite being a scumbag who puts his family's life at risk? There's no reason that triangle should work as anything other than a plot contrivance, and yet: it does. And it does so based on the power of Williams and Isaac and Gosling's ability to play a cipher.
I dunno, this movie came out 10 years ago this week and I've not been able to get it out of...