Review of Rush

Introduction

How far do you go as an undercover narcotics officer to do your job? This is a problem for Jim (Jason Patric) and Kristin (Jennifer Jason Leigh) as the line blurs and they get caught up in buying and using illegal drugs. This brings new meaning to the term, "taking work home with you". In the small Texan town of Katterly there`s one man, William Gaines (Gregg Allman), who runs some of the clubs, strip joints, porn and it`s said that he has an interest in drug dealing too. This is the man they`ve got to bring down at any cost.

Video

Presented with a 16:9 enhanced transfer, Rush looks very good. A lot of MGM back catalogue films don`t standout but this transfer is a pleasant surprise. Colours, detail and contrast come across as very well balanced with no smearing and very little dirt. It looks sharp with minor instances of dirt.

Audio

This is a surprise for an MGM back catalogue film as Rush contains Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. All the back catalogue region 2 MGM titles I`ve encountered so far offer just a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. The film has a lot of dialogue and this is well reproduced from the centre speaker, while Eric Clapton`s superb bluesy score breezes in from all the front speakers. It`s clear and appears free of any problems. The film also has German, French, Spanish and Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 audio.

Features

• Original Theatrical Trailer (2:16) - A 16:9 trailer of the usual calibre.

Once again region 2 owners are short-changed when it comes to extras. MGM have omitted audio commentary with director Lili F. Zanuck, an Eric Clapton music video and the `Filming Rush` featurette.

Rush does however contain 13 subtitle tracks including English. Little consolation...

Conclusion

Undercover cop stories are two-a-penny, undercover narcotics officers that get pushed to the limit and take drugs is another story. What makes an otherwise average story that much better are the engaging central performances. I think Rush is one of Jason Patric`s finest acting performances and this is one of the reasons why I like the film. We get the full effect of this undercover cop trying to fool the local dealers in believing he`s anything but a cop. He samples the merchandise while trying to remain in control but the stakes are high, very high; seeing him lose it is mesmerising. Partner him with Jennifer Jason Leigh and they make for a convincing pair.

The 70s setting is authentic with music and Eric Clapton`s score to match. Clapton`s blues captures the mood very well. Again, this is another MGM DVD, which isn`t on par with the region 1 version. If you`re looking for extras, you may want to check out R1, otherwise give this a rent. I think it`s worth seeing.