![Drive [Blu-ray]](http://cdn.hometheaterforum.com/2/2c/50x50px-ZC-2ce5de50_51eawS9K0qL._SL500_AA300_.jpeg)
Drive is a stylish, very exciting and extremely violent action film which grabs your attention from the opening shot and never lets go. Driver (Ryan Gosling) is a soft-spoken, nameless Los Angeles loner who is an auto mechanic by day but who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals at night and occasionally as a stunt driver in the movies. Shannon (Bryan Cranston) is Driver's boss at the garage and finds work for him in movies. Shannon has noticed Driver's exceptional skill and he convinces a local crime boss, Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks), to finance the purchase and operation of a stock car for them to race.
Drive
Studio: Sony
Year: 2011
Rated: R
Program Length: 100 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 1080p
Languages: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
The Program
You give me a time and a place, I give you a five minute window. Anything happens in that five minutes and I'm yours, no matter what. Anything happens a minute either side of that, then you're on your own. Do you understand? Good. - Driver
Drive is a stylish, very exciting and extremely violent action film which grabs your attention from the opening shot and never lets go. Driver (Ryan Gosling) is a soft-spoken, nameless Los Angeles loner who is an auto mechanic by day but who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals at night and occasionally as a stunt driver in the movies. Shannon (Bryan Cranston) is Driver's boss at the garage and finds work for him in movies. Shannon has noticed Driver's exceptional skill and he convinces a local crime boss, Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks), to finance the purchase and operation of a stock car for them to race.
Driver recently moved into a new building, where he befriends a neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan), and her son, Benecio (Kaden Leos). Irene is married, but her husband, Standard Gabriel (Oscar Isaac) is doing time in prison. The friendship threatens to get more serious, but before it can actually go anywhere Irene gets word that her husband is being released and will be home in a matter of days. Standard is paroled, but he quickly discovers that he is far from free. It seems that he became indebted to some other inmates while in prison, and now they want payback by having him conduct a heist at a pawn shop. Driver decides to help Standard by being his getaway driver. It seems like a routine job, but it does not go as planned and Driver discovers that he has inadvertently crossed Bernie Rose's partner, Nino (Ron Perlman). Driver's participation in the heist not only endangers himself, but also the lives of Irene and Benecio.
The director, Nicolas Winding Refn, is a Danish filmmaker whose approach to Drive clearly was influenced by the spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone. On the surface Driver is a man of few words who has a very placid temperament and is able to keep his emotions in check, even when he finds himself in dicey situations. However, he also is capable of exceptional violence when it is necessary. Like Clint Eastwood's "Man With no Name," we learn nothing about where Driver is from, what motivates him, what he does with his ill-gotten gains, or what plans he has for the future. Drive is all about being in the moment. The film's opening is a dazzling ten-minute, action-packed sequence which is shot almost entirely from the inside of Driver's getaway car.
Ryan Gosling is perfectly cast as Driver, and many critics feel that Albert Brooks was unfairly snubbed when he did not receive an Academy Award nomination for his brilliant performance as a smooth but utterly evil gangster. Ron Perlman is appropriately thuggish as Nino, and Bryan Cranston does a nice job as the auto repair shop owner who gets in over his head. Carey Mulligan is equally effective as the mother who finds herself attracted to another man while her husband is locked up.
Drive is not a deep film. We get no brilliant insights into what motivates the characters and ultimately there are no moral lessons to be learned. It is nevertheless highly thrilling, with many moments of heart-pounding excitement. The one caveat I would offer up is that there are several very violent scenes which may be hard to take for squeamish viewers.
The Video
This is yet another exceptional Blu-ray presentation from Sony. The 2.40:1 1080p is flawless, featuring outstanding sharpness, vivid and accurate colors, and strong contrast throughout. Much of the action takes place at night, so the excellent shadow detail and inky black levels really stand out. The film includes several breathtaking shots of Los Angeles at night. The picture appears to be accurately framed, and there is no evidence of excessive DNR or other unwelcome digital manipulation. The overall experience is very film-like and satisfying.
The Audio
The lossless 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack is every bit the equal of the video presentation. Dialogue is clear and understandable throughout. The film has a driving musical soundtrack which is given a wide soundstage and which does an excellent job of adding to the excitement. The surround channels come alive during the action scenes, including a couple of very impressive car chases.
The Supplements
The Blu-ray disc of Drive includes several enjoyable and informative extras.
"I Drive" is a five-minute featurette which focuses on the director's approach to making the film.
"Under the Hood" runs for twelve minutes and gives the principal actors and screenwriter Hossein Amini an opportunity to discuss their participation in the film.
"Driver and Irene" is a six-minute featurette which discusses the relationship between Driver and his female neighbor.
"Cut to the Chase" is a four-minute featurette about the making of the chase scenes.
Finally, "Drive Without a Driver" gives director Nicolas Winding Refn a platform to expound at length about how he made the film. It has a running time of 26 minutes.
Sony also has included trailers for The Rum Diary; London Boulevard; Meeting Evil; In the Land of Blood & Money; and Take Shelter.
In addition, there is a redemption code for downloading an UltraViolet version of the film.
The Packaging
The single disc comes in a standard Blu-ray keep case.
The Final Analysis
Drive offers plenty of thrills and it looks and sounds terrific. I have no doubt that many people who buy it will want to use it as a demonstration disc to show friends how spectacular the Blu-ray format can be.
Equipment used for this review:
Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player
Panasonic Viera TC-P46G15 Plasma display, calibrated to THX specifications by Gregg Loewen
Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver
BIC Acoustech speakers
Interconnects: Monster Cable
Release Date: January 31, 2012
