Driver (A Drive 2011 edit)

I love the concept, but was ultimately disappointed by the lack of narrative impact from the inclusion of the La La Land scenes. They actually felt very out of place, and the transitions to from Drive to La La Land are often jarring. The best transition is the phone call when the Driver is in the motel.

I felt the opening with the break up from La La Land set up something really interesting but ultimate felt there was little to no pay off from that set up. It's not terrible and is still a very interesting idea, but I guess I wanted more. For me, the original theatrical cut is still the go to version. This was a great idea that I feel wasn't fully capitalized on.

Saw a workprint version of this last year before release. This was a light expansion of Drive, and I found it quite enjoyable. The scenes chosen from La La Land were very well chosen, and were seamlessly (and impressively) integrated into Drive. The added scenes really do enhance and add more depth to the film.

I love the movie Drive and the additions with the scenes from La La Land incorporated... just *chef's kiss*. It added such a great emotional depth to the movie that I didn't know could even be possible. This will without a doubt be my go to version of the movie and an easy recommend to anyone.

I thoroughly enjoyed this edit. The addition of the La La Land footage was sparse, but with clear intention. It both added emotional depth and motivation previously only hinted at in Driver's relative stoicism, as well as accentuated the brutality of the real world in contrast to the inner beauty. This is especially true in the elevator sequence, as the lights dimming in the original Drive footage leads wonderfully into the dance sequence before being drawn out abruptly back into the stark, efficient violence. The addition of "City of Stars" over the second half of the credits was a very nice touch. I would definitely recommend checking this out.

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 The edits are few and far between but the impact they have is immediately noticeable - the formerly reserved and withdrawn Driver is now a hopeless romantic and a daydreamer, who stares off into space and imagines himself in a tap dancing wonderland when under pressure.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.