Driven

Sylvester Stallone wrote and stars in the world’s first race car movie to feature a gratuitous water ballet (by former Chanel No. 5 model Estella Warren). In this messy melodrama and swaggering homage to 200-plus mph open-wheel racing, rookie Jimmy (Kip Purdue) is being groomed by car owner Carl (Burt Reynolds) to win the world championship. Jimmy has a problem with focus and consistency, so Carl brings in a retired track sensation (Stallone) to mentor him. The track footage and digital effects are breathless orgies of sound, speed, color, cataclysm and flying debris. The knotted personal relationships between siblings, pals, teammates and lovers are laughable, and the gray area between what men are and what they do for a living is clumsily explored. Directed by Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger).