Review: One For the Road
Blu-ray: One For the Road (2003)
Directed by Chris Cooke from his 1999 short film Shifting Units, One For the Road tells the story of a group of men who have banned from driving and are on a rehabilitation course for drink drivers
Unfortunately the ‘look’ of the film is rather off-putting. In a time of HD and UHD, to sit through a film that looks like it was made on your grandfathers 1982 video camera is hard work (it shouldn’t be, but it is).
The cast, including Hywel Bennett and Rupert Procter, bond as brothers in male rage, drinking, shagging, impotence and the futility of it all as their court approved ‘Therapy’ leads them right back to the pub, where three of them plan to alleviate Bennett’s rich character out of a large amount of money.
I think this could be a movie that is ripe for a re-make as this version, although interesting, could do with a polish.
INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
- Director-approved presentation of this Standard Definition DVCAM-originated production
- Original 5.1 surround sound and 2.0 stereo audio tracks
- Audio commentary with writer-director Chris Cooke, producer Kate Ogborn, and co-producer Helen Solomon (2004)
- Audio commentary with actors Greg Chisholm, Mark Devenport and Rupert Procter (2004)
- ‘One for the Road’: An Oral History(2022, 42 mins): retrospective documentary produced specially for this release, featuring interviews with Cooke, actors Chisholm, Devenport, Procter and Johann Myers, composer Steve Blackman, and camera operator Steven Sheil
- Workshop Footage (2002, 7 mins): pre-production materials featuring actors Devenport, Procter and Penny Linfield
- Character Studies (2002, 15 mins): improvisation exercises with Devenport and Procter
- Video Diaries (2003, 19 mins): Cooke and Sheil document the development of new projects after the release of One for the Road, featuring workshop excerpts with actors Devenport and Micaiah Dring
- Original theatrical trailer
- Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
- Screenplay gallery: original shooting script
- Map of the Scars (1998, 11 mins): short film written and directed by Cooke, starring Andrew Tiernan
- Map of the Scars audio commentary with Cooke (2004)
- Shifting Units (2000, 9 mins): short film written and directed by Cooke, about an alcoholic salesman, portrayed by Procter, that served as the inspiration for One for the Road
- Shifting Units audio commentary with Cooke, producer Helen Solomon, and executive producer Kate Ogborn (2004)
- Why I Hate Parties (But Pretend to Love Them) (2003, 11 mins): short film co-written and directed by Devenport, with photography by Cooke, and featuring cast members from One for the Road
- Gary the Rapper vs Stefan Blix (2014, 14 mins): short film co-written and directed by Devenport, with photography by Cooke, starring One for the Road composer Steve Blackman and Scorzayzee
- Whiskers and Jane (2016, 14 mins): short film co-written and directed by Devenport, starring Procter and Cosima Shaw
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Limited edition exclusive 36-page booklet with a new essay by Thirza Wakefield, archival interviews with Chris Cooke, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
- World premiere on Blu-ray
- Limited edition of 4,000 copies for the UK and US
Review by Tina from a disc kindly supplied by Powerhouse Films.
