Drive Blu-ray: Review By Bane. Ferguson

Jan 31st, 2012 by Bane. Ferguson
A retro 80's-esque pop art fairy tale.
  • OVERALL
    5.0
    SUPERB
  • Feature
  • Picture
  • Sound
  • Extras
  • Replay Value
THE GOOD
The Good: The smoothness, the subtlety of the violence, creeping in, the use of sensuality, the violence the sensuality and quaintness in The Drivers life. Refn likes his brooding movements, its calculated momentum. Its sharp intake of breath exhaled and ever more heightened by the last 40 minutes, a characterisation not built upon but shown through the gauze like coverlet of Goslings eyes- hiding this true nut jobs passions and assessments.
THE BAD
The Bad: Nothing- except the exclusion of class special features. But a long 40 minute Q@A sums up Refn and his take on cinema, which is pivotal and eye opening. Plus he scares the hell out of Robbie Collins. Poster gallery the evolution- which I remember the first poster before production made it look like a gritty urban thriller- oh no its not! The bad was I had been behind Refn while people belittled him or shrugged to this film before the mass convergence of sublime publicity I stuck with it supported it and could not wait- my anticipation was stopped with the films opening- though it took me ages to latch onto the first ten minutes- possibly to pure rushing of excitement I loved it and adored it and it was worth the long painful wait- and yes you Red State!
THE FEATURE
Feature: Drive is a retro pop arty fairy tale that is funky, frantic, fractured and fabulously fierce. What a Drive! Many comparisons may connect to Walter Hills superb The Driver this has a clinch namely in the authors inspiration but it stops there. This is Nicolas Winding Refns beatific nostalgic love letter and re-emergence into cinema- after a dip and swerve with the mildly hated and hateable and loathsome dull but dribble portrait that is Valhalla Rising (don't need to check out my rating, it changes every so few weeks) and highs- The pusher Trilogy, and Bronson -TOM HARDY!

Its no surprise that a msn of his valour and artistic nuance and humour- dry, brittle, charismatic in a damned way, he's cool, and so the hell is this movie. Missed it in the cinema, made up for it in viewing on Blu-Ray and what a show. The photography is lush, encapsulating the streets of LA.

You may all know the story of the man with no name- and how Refn sees this defines his motifs in mythologies and evolutions, philosophy is biased and uncharted if honest, the poor guy has had hard press and score for the first time pre-water shed (8.00 am) on BBC and has had natives moaning about it posing as a Fast And Furious film- that women needs an actual thrill ride- or a smack- also it's a huge thing- Cannes lapping this eerie, hard as stone flick that sees Gosling play the Driver, a stuntman whom gets entangled with a neighbour and her husbands fiends, this is no other than a gangster flick or revenge flick but a psychosis go check your self in type film.

Its smooth shots, its hard back lit monolithic moments, its redeemed moments.
THE EXTRAS
Poster Gallery

Q@A- with NWR- 40 minutes

Theatrical Trailer

TV Spot
THE VIDEO
Blu-Ray- 1080P
THE AUDIO
HD Dolby

No surround osund so had to switch to none Hd equivalent

5.1
THE PACKAGE
Steel Case. Beautiful, the back a nice slick and stunning picture of the trademarked Scorpion Satin Jacket
THE FINAL WORD
A retro 80's-esque pop art fairy tale.

Frantic, fractured, fierce and fabulous.

What a Drive!

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Comments (14)

  1. TheStonedReviewer

    I've read your review, i now HAVE 2 SEE THIS!!! Great review man, a must see!

    4 months agoby @stonedFlag

  2. Bane. Ferguson

    @combatmadness360 Tinker Tialor may come off as pompous- but after a second watch its a completley different filmsd- namley your expectations are neither high nor low as you have alread watched it!

    4 months agoby @Zak-FFlag

  3. The Boondock Saint

    @Zak-F Is that right? hmmm, maybe I will do that then. I'll give it another shot.

    4 months agoby @combatmadness360Flag

  4. Bane. Ferguson

    @combatmadness360 iwould have agreed back in september but after rewatching it on BLu-Ray it is actually a sublime watch! :D try it out when released- but rental- dont buy if your not that keen

    4 months agoby @Zak-FFlag

  5. The Boondock Saint

    @Zak-F oooooh, I'm sorry to hear that. Tinker Tailor was trash.

    4 months agoby @combatmadness360Flag

  6. Bane. Ferguson

    @combatmadness360 and very cheap- unlike TINKER TAILOR!

    4 months agoby @Zak-FFlag

  7. The Boondock Saint

    Great review! and damn, I really wish we had a steelbook available here. I would get that sh*t in a second!

    4 months agoby @combatmadness360Flag

  8. ROFLitschristian

    Oh these new DVD reviews are a tad bit awesome.

    4 months agoby @ROFLitschristianFlag

  9. SherlockHolmes2009

    Damn wish I had bluray

    4 months agoby @SherlockHolmes2009Flag

  10. SpaceCowboy

    @Zak-F I don't think there's a US SteelBook for Drive. Which kinda sucks, but I've been annoyed by SteelBooks ever since I got the Jurassic Park SteelBook (about 70 bucks or so) and it was dented to hell. So, Drive in the Blu-case is fine by me.

    4 months agoby @SpaceCowboyFlag

  11. thedude-abides

    Nice. Picking this up today.

    4 months agoby @thedude-abidesFlag

  12. Bane. Ferguson

    @SpaceCowboy Yep- dunno about the US release?

    4 months agoby @Zak-FFlag

  13. SpaceCowboy

    @Zak-F Nice! I'm guessing you got the UK SteelBook.

    4 months agoby @SpaceCowboyFlag

  14. Bane. Ferguson

    @bawnian-dexeus @ChiRep-1 @corey @moviegeek @moviewiz001 @ROFLitschristian @SherlockHolmes2009 @skywise @SpaceCowboy @stoned @summit10 @thedude-abides @XxNickTheFilmCriticXx my Blu-Ray review for Drive- what a film!

    4 months agoby @Zak-FFlag