As you've seen for the past few reviews, I've been begging and praying for another truly great movie to come out this year. The only few that stand out are "John Wick" and "Wonder Woman", and of course "Logan". Two of those are superhero movies ("Logan" is debatable on that but we'll throw it in there for the sake of argument) and the other is your basic (but highly enjoyable) action romp. I was losing hope after the garbage we've been getting fed for the past few months. Would it ever happen this summer? That time has come, and our saviour is Edgar Wright's "Baby Driver". I have not always been the biggest fan of Wright's work (I'm just going to say it, "Shaun of the Dead" isn't that good), but this movie blew me away. The movie centers around getaway driver Baby (played by Downton Abbey's Alsel Elgort), who seeks to escape from his life of crime under kingpin Doc (a brilliantly menacing Kevin Spacey) and the other sociopaths he finds himself in with, after meeting waitress Deborah (Lily James). At first glance, a seemingly typical story of someone forced into a situation they don't want to be in. However, the "gimmick" of the movie is that Baby, who has tinnitus - a ringing in his ears from a past accident, is always playing music to drown out the ringing, and the rest of the movie and the events are edited and shown with his music playing. The fantastic variety of tracks on the soundtrack keeps the movie constantly fresh and engaging throughout. Music is the lifeblood of this movie, and it turns what might have seemed generic under any other director into a unique and constantly fun experience.
However, as you might have guessed, it's not just the plot that is on point in this movie, but the script also does a good job of crafting entertaining and engaging characters. The movie is very funny thanks to this writing. Whenever there is a joke, it feels natural and always in line with the character that has been created. The humour never feels out of place or forced for a cheap laugh. Director Wright understands when scenes need to be serious and when scenes can have light-hearted humour, and the mix between the two is brilliantly executed. Thankfully, the writing is also backed up by some brilliant performances. Ansel Elgort is a surprisingly charismatic lead as Baby, who is extremely relatable and sympathetic throughout, even when pushed to the absolute limit later on in the film. Lily James also delivers solid work as the lead love interest Deborah, and she and Elgort have great chemistry while on screen. It's a believable dynamic, which is necessary to make the character motivations as strong as they are later on. Eiza González is also great as crook Darling, giving the character an engaging edge. However, there are 3 main stand-out performances in the movie which still stand-out in my mind after thinking about the movie as a whole. First of all, Jamie Foxx as the psychopathic Bats. Foxx gives the role his all and is a terrifying part of the film. Yet, despite the terror associated with him, he remains strangely charismatic. That is the great accomplishment of Wright with this gang of criminal misfits. Despite everything they do throughout the movie, they are likable for the entirety. Next up is Jon Hamm as another one of the crew, Buddy. Edgar Wright has said that from the very first script read-through to the finished product, Hamm is the only actor who made it all the way. After seeing the movie, it is clear to see why. Hamm imbues the character with a strange charm and likability to him despite his character, which allows the audience to warm to him despite his actions throughout. It's a menacing but equally intriguing performance, and Hamm is a brilliant presence throughout. Finally, as you might have seen in the trailer, there is one big name actor I've yet to mention: Kevin Spacey, who plays the leader of gang, aptly codenamed Doc. As he is obviously a villain and fans of "House of Cards" might expect, despite delivering every line with his same dry tone, Spacey still manages to be extremely emotive, has perfect comic timing, and is mostly criminal in the amount of scenes that he steals. Which is to say, every one he is in. Ultimately, however, all of these actors do a great job with the great material they have been graced with here
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| Crooks, sociopaths, psychopaths and, of course, "young Mozart in a Go Kart over here" |
As this is a driving movie revolving around getaways and crime, you might have guessed that there would be some intense action sequences involved in this movie. Well, you would be right, and these are insane to put it mildly. I won't spoil anything involved in these sequences because they are much more enjoyable when they are being watched with no idea what is going to come next, but, to give you an idea of what I mean, in the trailers, many of the stunts you see involving the red car which has been the centerpiece of much of the marketing, occur in the first 10 minutes. Now, consider how early on this is, and then I tell you that the movie only continues to escalate from there. It is truly some of the most bonkers action I've ever had the absolute pleasure of watching on the big screen, and is perfectly paced so that it never lasts too long and the scenes are appropriately spread out throughout. The stunt work in the movie is fantastic and never looks fake at any point, a true testament to the behind the crew on these scenes and the stuntmen involved in the filming itself. The production design on the film is also excellent on all fronts. It's a seemingly small part for a film with no heavy reliance on CGI and is set in a realistic environment, but production design is in fact a crucial element for the entire film. Take, for example, make-up and costume design, which are all excellent. One of the key character is on Jamie Foxx's Bats, who you can instantly tell from his tattoos and design what he is all about. The gun tattoo on his hand which can be seen on the poster, as he pretends to wield it. A murderous and possibly deranged psychopath much? Small details like these can be found on all of the characters. Set design is also on point and is key to immersion. It's all of these extra factors which do not tend to get paid a lot of attention to but are secretly key to the art of filmmaking that deserve much more appreciation, particularly when they are executed as well as they are in this movie.
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| Kevin Spacey rules the roost as crime kingpin Doc, stealing the show at every turn |
The technical aspects of the film are also on point. Very rarely is CGI used in the movie, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was implemented to some of the stunts.That said, even if it was, the effects work was so stellar that I am finding it difficult to recall any moment in particular where the effects were noticeable or the action happening on screen looked at all fake, and so my immersion at least was never broken and not one eyebrow was raised. where I briefly mentioned it earlier but I again have to praise the editing of the movie. Director Edgar Wright actually started his career in filmmaking as an editor and that really shines through in his visual of the film. The cinematography is also great, with a large number of tracking shots being used throughout the movie as Baby dances his way through his songs. This of course all again comes back to the music, which I must again praise. The movie blazes through over 25 songs, with genres ranging from pop to rock to swing to relaxing jazz. It's no real secret that Edgar Wright's inspiration for making this movie over the past 3 years was from having made a music video about a getaway driver when he was much younger. It's clear that his love and passion for all of these different genres of music is what has driven him to incorporate all of them into the film in a meaningful way without making any of them seem forced, a problem a lot of recent movies using soundtracks like these suffer from. In mixing his passion in this area with his usual directorial flair, the whole movie becomes an experience which will have you smiling from the first 30 seconds to the very final frame of the finished product.
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| Ansel Elgort and Lily James show off a surprisingly believable romance |
What else is there to say about "Baby Driver"? It is not only a great film but is, in my mind at least, one of the best films of the years; quite possibly THE best. Edgar Wright pumps the movie full of his trademark humour and stylish wit, making music the true lifeblood of this movie, ingeniously wrapping the cinematography and editing around the soundtrack. The acting in the movie is phenomenal, and is backed up by a brilliant script which excels in creating an engaging plot and interesting characters. That's without even mentioning the mind-blowing and often insane action sequences, with Wright having crafted car chases quite unlike any I've ever (seriously, EVER) seen in a movie. I managed to see this one at a preview screening on Saturday night before general release so please spread the word of how good this is as fast as possible! Stylish, funny, exhilarating, and head rocking, "Baby Driver" is the perfect marriage of summer blockbuster action and Oscar-worthy filmmaking skill. It is Edgar Wright's perfect symphony. See this movie. I promise you that you will not regret it.
Pros
- Stylishly directed
- Brilliant music
- Consistently entertaining and funny
- Great characters and acting all around
- Bonkers action
- Editing
- Cinematography and tracking shots in particular
- Stellar production design
Cons
- Nothing comes to mind easily
Original Release Date: 28th of June, 2017
Starring Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Eiza González, Jamie Foxx, Jon Bernthal, and Jon Hamm
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