FilmDistrict has announced plans to re-release “Drive” at the Arclight Hollywood for an exclusive one-week engagement, beginning this Friday, January 6th. Albert Brooks will be in attendance for a Q&A on opening night. Though “Drive” has received a significant number of nominations and wins throughout the precursor season (including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Director BFCA nominations), Brooks’s Golden Globes nod solidifies him as the film’s strongest Oscar contender (despite a SAG snub).

It is not out of the realm of possibility, however, for Christopher Plummer to steal Best Supporting Actor for his work in “Beginners” (which would be a first-time win for a long and distinguished career). This is not to detract from the other deserving players on the field, it is simply to note that the Academy does take the overall picture into account when it comes time to cast their ballots.

The engagement's purpose is likely to persuade voters to see “Drive” on the big screen where they can witness some if its other achievements. If you are an LA local and were not able to see “Drive” during its initial release, you may want to do so now. The press release is (naturally) a bit effusive when it states that “the film is an electrifying piece of blazing neon color, elegant Los Angeles locations, and swooning electropop sounds,” but it is also accurate.

This is one that is well worth the cost of the cinema as its strengths are defined and enhanced by the theatrical experience. Refn communicates primarily via his visual signatures and secondarily with his musical selections and cues (though some may feel that the order is the reverse). Of course the dialogue supports the plot, but those who have seen it well know, this is not a pithy, language-rich film. You will also have the pleasure of witnessing one of the finest pieces of counter-intuitive casting this year, which no doubt has helped Brooks's play on the season so far.

As a reminder, the Arclight will also be hosting a six-film retrospective of Gary Oldman favorites from January 9-11, concluding with an in-person Q&A with the actor following a screening of Focus Features’s “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” at 8pm on Wednesday, January 11. One of those evenings may just spell the ideal double or triple feature date night.

You can purchase your tickets for “Drive” on the Arclight website. The Oldman retrospective tickets were available for free at www.OldmanRSVP.com. Hopefully you acted fast on those.

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