Review Detail

For two films that have almost nothing in common save for a city and a star (pun intended), this fan edit works exceptionally well. The edits are few and far between but the impact they have is immediately noticeable - the formerly reserved and withdrawn Driver is now a hopeless romantic and a daydreamer, who stares off into space and imagines himself in a tap dancing wonderland when under pressure. Definitely gave off, as other have mentioned, Lynchian vibes, especially in the second half. I enjoyed City Of Stars over the second half of the end credits, too. Malthus has expertly transformed a relatively straightforward neo-noir/thriller into a surreal and brooding look at a mentally unhinged psycho-killer.

In terms of quality, the La La Land scenes are drastically higher resolution than Drive, the base film, which appears almost pixelated. I can't tell if this is a stylistic choice or just a low quality rip. The cuts are clean and at times abrupt - as the Driver is snapped out of his daydreams by gunshots, or whatever is happening around him in the real world. The best transition is (again, others have said this) the elevator scene, which is far more romantic, and the contrast with the violence is much higher. Also of note: i really enjoyed the added title cards, they really appear real and professional.

As for improvements; my biggest issue is the low quality of the copy of Drive used, which accounts for probably 90% of this edit.

Overall, this edit definitely gets a thumbs up. A very niche idea and some hard work has definitely gone into the planning and execution of this edit.