Drive Blu-ray Review

It practically goes without saying, this was Ryan Gosling's breakout year. Not only did he deliver fine performances in The Ides of March, All Good Things and Crazy, Stupid, Love, but he also headlined director Nicolas Winding Refn's latest action-drama, Drive. It's criminal that he didn't get any recognition by the Academy in this year's Oscars. The guy proved he's not just a pretty face, but a very raw, dedicated actor who's honed his craft.
Drive alone proves that. While the story is like many other revenge B-movies from the days of yore -- even acting and feeling like an '80s movie -- Drive is a delicately crafted thriller that utilizes a nuanced indie spirit to freshen an otherwise stale story. And Gosling rests at the center of this morbid tale – a dark knight whose murderous fury tragically engulfs his taste for a normal life.

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In the film, Gosling plays "driver," a stunt man with a haunted past and an empty soul. When he meets his next door neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan), he falls deeply in love with her. Things get complicated, however, after her ex-convict husband gets himself entangled in the world he was trying to escape. Fearing for Irene's life, and the life of her son, "driver" tries to help her husband out. This leads our hero on a deadly path of brutal revenge that may just cost him the love of his life, and any redemption he had hoped to find in her.

There's an energy and a moody nature to Drive that comes to life right during the film's tense opening prologue. And the romantic angle of the story is both refreshing and intriguing. Instead of playing with the usual romantic genre cliches, the film almost plays things abstractly, detailing the moments in between the dialogue, when two people really fall in love. All set to a wonderfully atmospheric score, and punctuated by several Oscar-worthy supporting performances (Albert Brooks, Mulligan and Bryan Cranston are all worthy of praise), there's little not to love about this beautiful, tense, violent movie.

Make no mistake, Drive is a B-movie genre picture at its core. But it's seasoned with an indie-spirit and driven by tense sequences of raw violence and exciting action. It's not going to be for everyone – Nicolas Refn's films never reach a broad audience (he also directed Bronson and Valhalla Rising). But those who enjoy a good old fashioned revenge thriller, and something with a few new twists and storytelling turns, Drive is going to be one remarkable experience you won't soon forget.

The film speeds to Blu-ray encoded in 1080p/AVC and mixed in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Shot in HD video, this low-budget production looks surprisingly filmic and lifelike. Cinematography is both visually nuanced and engaging, complemented by the overt '80s overtones and fancy action set pieces. But even the film's dramatic moments shine with a rich, lively beauty. The encode rarely falters. The print is mostly free of noise or heavy grain, and motion blur – while sometimes noticeable – is kept to a minimum. Artifacting is nonexistent and colors are bold and emotionally striking – no banding or posterization detected.

Audio is given quite a bit of punch thanks to the film's awesome soundtrack. Dialogue is clean, with no high-end crackles or heavy distortions. Surrounds are put to good use and bass gives plenty of explosive energy to the film's action cues. While the mix isn't always as aggressive as some bigger budgeted mainstream titles, there's an immersive nature to the sound design that breathes life into the film's moody narrative.

Extras are unfortunately a bit light. No commentary track is offered. No deleted scenes. No in-depth documentary. And this Blu-ray doesn't even boast a digital copy or DVD copy of the film. Instead, you get an Ultraviolet cloud streaming copy, which is bound to disappoint many haters of this new digital format. Other extras include a 25-minute interview with the director and four EPK featurettes (running about 28 minutes total, in HD). The disc also includes some trailers for other Sony films, and is BD-Live enabled.

Drive is one of the year's best films. It toys around with genre conventions and comes up with a spirited, haunting experience that's likely to become a cult favorite in years to come. The action of the picture is wonderfully crafted, and the drama is emotionally riveting. If you're looking for something a little different, Drive is the Blu-ray to own.

R.L. Shaffer is a writer for IGN Blu-ray and IGN TV. You can follow him on Twitter @rlshafferIGN.

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