Product Details

• Actors: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac
• Directors: Nicolas Winding Refn
• Writers: Hossein Amini, James Sallis
• Producers: Adam Siegel, Bill Lischak, Chris Ranta, David Lancaster, Frank Capra III
• Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: January 31, 2012
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (689 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0064NTZQ2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,688 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Drive" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Denmark's Nicolas Winding Refn makes an electrifying return to Hollywood filmmaking with this 1980s-style noir, right down to the synth score and neon-pink credits (he released his American debut, Fear X, in 2003). Ryan Gosling puts his implacable quality to good use as an L.A. stunt driver whose world crumbles when he falls for the wrong woman (Carey Mulligan). Irene is hardly a femme fatale, but her incarcerated husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), is another story. When her car breaks down, Driver recommends the auto shop where he works with Shannon (Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston). The two start spending time together, but then Standard returns from prison. Driver keeps his distance until he discovers that Standard owes protection money. If he doesn't pay up, Irene and their son will suffer, so Driver offers to handle the wheel during a heist, a job with which he has more than a little experience, as the riveting opening sequence proves. While they plan their score with Blanche (Mad Men's Christina Hendricks), Shannon makes a deal with a couple of gangsters (Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman), but when the plans collide: all hell breaks loose. In adapting James Sallis's novel, Refn builds to a bittersweet denouement, though the bursts of bloodshed will test even the hardiest of viewers. At its best, though, Drive is every bit as gripping as Reagan-era crime dramas like To Live and Die in L.A. and Thief. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

Ryan Gosling stars as a Hollywood stunt driver for movies by day and moonlights as a wheelman for criminals by night. Though a loner by nature, “Driver” can’t help falling in love with his beautiful neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan), a young mother dragged into a dangerous underworld by the return of her ex-convict husband. After a heist goes wrong, Driver finds himself driving defense for the girl he loves, tailgated by a syndicate of deadly serious criminals (Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman). Soon he realizes the gangsters are after more than the bag of cash and is forced to shift gears and go on the offense.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

94 of 117 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A film you'll probably either love or loath...just look at the reviews here February 5, 2012

By nvcameron

Format:Blu-ray

Before watching this film you have to understand that this is an arthouse flick masquerading as a Gone in 60 Seconds type of film & if you're expecting Gone in 60 seconds or a Michael Bay type of action film you'll be soooo disappointed...On the other hand if you're looking for a smart superbly crafted methodically paced/shot arthouse film you'll adore this! I love both stupid action films & foreign arthouse fair so this film is a match made in heaven & one of the best films ive ever seen even though ive seen dozens of films like this(every cliché in the genre book is presented here but thats beside the point)...This film is in love with itself...Cant give it enough stars...For the folks who hate "Drive" i understand & i forgive you...lol

214 of 274 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Art-House Actioner That Blends Indie Cool With Mainstream Appeal: Watch Out For Spoilers And Enjoy The Ride December 2, 2011

By K. Harris HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWER

Format:DVD

In a year in which Ryan Gosling could do no wrong from romantic comedy (Crazy, Stupid, Love) to political drama (The Ides of March) to this art house actioner--"Drive" stands as the apex of his career-changing film streak. I have, for many years, declared Gosling perhaps the best actor of his generation. Ever since he burst onto the film scene in the controversial "The Believer," Gosling has eschewed being a mainstream "star." Heck, after "The Notebook," another actor might have taken a very different career path. But Gosling, despite a couple of disappointing forays into big budget Hollywood, has remained true to his indie roots. Until now, that is. This year, he seamlessly blended indie cool with mainstream appeal. Of course, in "Drive" he found the perfect filmmaker and artistic collaborator in Danish auteur Nicolas Winding Refn. The two began a very public bromance and have already embarked on their next film project (2012's Only God Forgives). Winding Refn is an ultra-cool writer/director whose resume is populated by some of my favorite international hits, and he picked up the Cannes Best Director prize for this. If you are unfamiliar with his work, I strongly suggest you invest in "The Pusher" trilogy--a series of films exploring the underbelly of the Copenhagen drug scene.

Well that's a lot of build-up to "Drive." But here's the thing, I'm not going to elaborate very specifically on this movie. Anyone who reveals too much is doing the movie a complete disservice. It is a film that is best left to unfold at its own pace with all surprises intact. The movie makes the most of its seedy Los Angeles setting. Gosling plays an unnamed stuntman who gets a sideline job working for a crime syndicate boss, played by an uncharacteristic Albert Brooks. All I will say is that things take an unexpected turn, and Gosling morphs from a virtually silent protagonist into a stone cold nightmare. It's an exciting transformation and one that will linger with you. This is modern noir at its finest, but with a decidedly art-house vibe. It combines an edgy urban seventies sensibility with the man-with-no-name western allure. I think many expected "Drive" to be a car movie or a non-stop action picture, but it is essentially a slow-burn character driven piece about how far one man can be pushed. But make no mistake, it continues to ramp up to extreme proportions before the blood soaked finale.

The filmmaking is top-notch throughout. There is an exquisite use of light, shadows, neon shadings, and arresting street level views of Los Angeles which make the visual appearance of the film quite spectacular. The odd techno-pop soundtrack is unorthodox, to be sure, but somehow fits perfectly. The editing and camera work is assured and edgy at the same time. And the effects are brutal and unforgettable. Add to that a great cast, and "Drive" becomes a can't miss proposition. Gosling shows a different side here, but the performance everyone will talk about is served by Brooks. Brooks paints one of the most memorable villains on screen this year, completely against type, and will probably be looking at serious awards consideration. Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Ron Perlman and Christina Hendricks help round out the cast. "Drive," ultimately, may not be for everyone and that's OK. Winding Refn has put together a near perfect film for adult audiences. If you check your expectations at the door, don't read spoilers, and settle in (oh and it helps if you aren't particularly squeamish)--this is a ride well worth taking. KGHarris, 12/11.

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Modern-Day Noir in LA March 31, 2012

By Tsuyoshi TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:DVD

The film's title "Drive" might be misleading. Ryan Gosling's laconic hero is a Hollywood stuntman and garage mechanic by day and getaway driver by night, but car action scenes, superb as they are, are sparse and low-key, compared to, say, "The Transporter." Based on a James Sallis book, the film is more like a crime noir about a mysterious man, whose past no one really knows.

The storyline itself is not very complicated. Some may say it is conventional. Ryan Gosling plays an unnamed protagonist, a driver wearing a scorpion-embroidered jacket, who befriends his next-door neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son Benicio (Kaden Leos). To help her husband Standard (Oscar Isaac), an ex-convict heavily in debt, Gosling's character agrees to do a job for him as a getaway driver.

"Drive" benefits from the capable acting from Ron Perlman and cast-against-type Albert Brooks, but it is excellent Ryan Gosling who carries the show throughout. The film is also memorable for its nice camerawork by Denmark-born director Nicolas Winding Refn ("Pusher") using the highly stylized lighting. The film's eclectic score is also effective in creating the dark mood.

"Drive," often bloody and violent, is less about car action stunts (which are very good) than about those characters, whose fates it seems are already sealed before the film begins.