The sharpness of Drive’s print, even on the DVD format, showcases the amount of care that Sony has taken in transferring this onto a home video format. For viewers that wish to get more information about Drive, the included featurettes showcase the intense cars that are used (Under the Hood), the difficulty in the different stunts (Driver and Irene), and an in-depth look at Drive’s producer (Nicolas Winding Refn).
Drive is the story of Driver (Ryan Gosling). Driver makes eir livelihood through tuning up cars, mercenary work (either as a getaway driver or as a stuntman), and ultimately goes up against mobster Izzy (Ron Perlman). The use of archetypes as names seems to be a call back to classic drama, and it is this construction of characters that makes the ultimately identifiable by the widest possible swath of viewers.
The blend of established, new, and upcoming actors in this title creates a number of different dynamics that have not been realized on film or on television up to this point – take the Christina Hendricks / James Biberi or Gosling / Kaden Leos scenes for proof of this. The smaller main cast makes for a more intimate film, and further establishes this title as one based on earlier film and stage productions.
To be honest, there are so many car-focused films that the genre seems to have reached saturation. However, Refn’s smart direction coupled with the performances that are turned in by Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston and Ron Perlman make this into a film that can easily cross genre lines. If you would like to see a glossy film that has a tremendous engine working underneath all the candy paint and chrome, check out Drive today.
Rating: 8.5/10
Drive (DVD) / 2012 Sony / 100 Minutes / http://www.sony.com