While the cover may try to trick you into believing that after directing Drive Nicolas Winding Refn decided to step behind the camera and direct a British gangster movie, that’s not the case; but despite being a remake of a Winding Refn written and directed Dutch movie, Pusher is the best British gangster movie in years.
Adapted from Windign Refn’s original Dutch script, Pusher follows small-time street dealer Frank (Richard Coyle, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time) as his world begins to unravel; when a supposedly iron-clad deal goes awry, and he ends up losing both his drugs and money, and ends up heavily indebted to a rather ruthless supplier.
Thrown into the mix are Frank’s friend/partner Tony (Bronson Webb, Kingdom of Heaven), his stripper-girlfriend Flo (Agyness Deyn, Clash of the Titans), and the supplier’s enforcer Hakan (Mem Ferda, Revolver), though while each handles their part as well as can be expected; Bronson is a mere caricature of a loud-mouthed best friend, Mem is quite adept at playing the ‘heavy’ who’s just doing his job, and Agyness is actually a surprisingly strong actress for a model and can clearly handle bigger parts in the future; this really is the Richard Coyle show; Pusher is all about Frank, he’s basically in every shot of the film, and handles himself so well in every aspect of his performance (the confident and professional businessman, awkward lover, and inwardly panicking dealer) that’s he’s not only completely believable, but comes across as a true leading man, and someone that should have a few bigger credits under his belt.
Plot-wise Pusher’s nothing original, before you even push play you can predict just about every beat the film’s about to take (and that’s even if you haven’t seen the original); Frank’s going to agree to making an obviously dodgy deal, it’s going to go south, and he’s going to end up owing a ruthless big-time dealer who’s going to come chasing his money, but what makes Pusher stand out isn’t the plot, or the action (because Pusher’s surprisingly light and realistic in its level of violence; making each encounter that much more poignant), but the style; Nicolas Winding Refn may not have directed Pusher, but it sure looks like he did.
Pusher really has the look, and to some extent the sound, of Drive; the lighting is fantastic, and the club tracks playing throughout the soundtrack are wonderfully placed and perfectly suited to the film; it brings a sense of class to what’d be an otherwise grungy look at the british criminal underworld, and somehow elevates Pusher over the slew of lesser gangster flicks we see released every year.
It’s not original by any means, but if you like your British gangster movies, you could do a whole hell of a lot worse than Pusher; a remake of a Nicolas Winding Refn film, produced by Nicolas Winding Refn, that looks like another Nicolas Winding Refn film, and just so happens to be the most stylish looking British gangster movie for years.
Picture:
Coming to Blu-ray with a frankly astonishing video transfer, there’s little to gripe about with Pusher’s visual presentation; boasting superb detail in close-up shots, deep blacks, and amazingly vivid colours, which aren’t hampered by any of the usual transfer issues such as aliasing or banding; meaning Pusher is not only the best looking British gangster film you’re likely to see on Blu-ray right now, but a fantastic looking transfer in its own right.
Audio:
Likewise the audio (a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track) is just as strong, and sounds at its best when pumping out the various electronic dance tunes heard in one of Pusher’s many club scenes; booming with weighty and impressive bass, making full use of the rear channels to fill the soundstage, and providing a nice dynamic range to accompany the clean and clear dialogue, and handful of well placed effects (such as gunshots), that make Pusher’s audio track an enjoyable, immersive, all-round experience.
Special Features:
Sadly lacking however are Pusher’s bonus materials, which sadly consist of only a trailer, a basic and frankly skippable Making Of featurette, and a 12 minute Q&A session where Nicolas Winding Refn, Luis Prieto, Richard Coyle and Agyness Deyn answered a number of production-related questions about the film just after the English premiere (a feature that will only appeal to hardcore fans and, again, be skipped by most); making for a rather bland and un-noteworthy offering overall.
The Bottom Line:
It’s far from original, and is probably pretty forgettable all-in-all, but as British gangster movies go, Pusher’s not bad at all; the story’s a tried-and-tested one (so there’s no surprises there), but the acting is solid, and the Drive-esque style keeps things ultimately interesting, meaning Pusher is a worthwhile watch, and the most stylish British gangster movie we’ve seen in a long time.
Plus, coming to Blu-ray with such a stellar video transfer, and a great audio track, mean that the Pusher Blu-ray is a solid release (even if it’s somewhat let down by the tawdry special features), and a welcome addition to the collection of anyone who loves a good British gangster movie. If you loved Drive you’ll like Pusher, but if you’re more of a casual gangster-fan, you’re best of giving Pusher a rent before you go blind-buying.
