Poor Edgar Wright has been given something of a short shrift in the last five or so years. Following the conclusion of his much-lauded Cornetto Trilogy (which includes one of the best comedies of all time, Hot Fuzz) his adaptation of the comic series Scott Pilgrim under-performed at the box-office and his much anticipated take on Ant-Man failed to materialise after the meddling machine of Marvel Studios got involved. I love everything this man does, so it's a shame that his creativity has been unable to find a home. So thank God for Baby Driver. Following some dubious early trailers, Baby Driver becomes one of the most kinetic films of this summer's blockbuster season.
The films follows Baby (Ansel Elgort), a young man stuck in an inescapable situation. After being caught stealing and subsequently destroying some precious stock, Baby is forced to work for criminal Doc (Kevin Spacey), who helps him on his elaborate heists to pay off his debt. For, with the help of his iPod, Baby is an amazing getaway driver, who also happens to suffer from tinnitus following a car accident as a child. Baby is on the verge of paying off his final piece of debt to Doc, so makes plans to finally leave Atlanta and strike out on his own (maybe accompanied by a waitress friend he has met - Debora, as played by Lily James). However, Doc has other plans for Baby and pulls him in for another heist against his will. With criminals Bats (Jamie Foxx), Buddy (Jon Hamm) and Darling (Eiza Gonázlez) in toe, things begin to go south for Baby as he soon finds it difficult to escape this criminal world...
Baby Driver is held together by Edgar Wright's incredible style. It is a literal orchestra of revving cars and flying bullets, all in sync to Baby's playlist. Wright's cinematic confidence seeps from every frame of the film, right from the very first scene. The pacing of the film is truly excellent, with Wright zipping from scene to scene, seemingly effortlessly. If anyone saw Scott Pilgrim vs. The World or any of the Cornetto film, you know this is something he is a master of. The car chases and other action scenes are thrilling and constructed for maximum thrills. The film keeps on finding new ways to make all the actions scenes unique and exciting. Even scenes as mundane as "Baby buys coffee for the gang" becomes a joyful one-take shot as Baby moves and dances to the rhythm of the song he is listening to. There are plenty of wonderful and playful diegetic and non-diegetic moments with the soundtrack, with one Baby insisting in one scene that he rewinds one of his songs so he (and the scene) can get back in rhythm. The film is cinematically literate (as you'd expect from the director) and the musical choices are stellar. Hearing Brighton Rock, a slightly obscure Queen song from their album masterpiece Sheer Heart Attack, was an absolute thrill.
The dialogue is just as razor sharp as you'd expect it to be. I think Wright is toying with certain action character clichés to point of almost spoofing them (though not quite to the degree of Hot Fuzz). In fact, it almost feels like a film that the characters from Hot Fuzz would idolise. The difference is Baby himself. This is a fairly unique character for a mainstream action film and the film spends a good amount of time establishing his motives and character. In particular, I like the scenes with his foster father, where they have to sign to each to communicate as he is deaf. I do bemoan a bit that the rest of the cast are fairly generic (though I imagine this is likely the point), even if the performances themselves are excellent. Jamie Foxx in particular is a highlight. The set-up is great and well executed. With acts one and two, Baby Driver seems to be heading in a unique and very funny direction. So I was a little disappointed when the film takes the direction it does. It's still kinetic and exciting, don't get me wrong, I just wish it could have found a more unique direction to take after the promise of the first half of the film.
That said, Baby Driver's slightly generic plot is masked by Wright's incredible filmmaking. Every frame of this film is meticulously planned and executed gorgeously. The soundtrack and general sound design are a symphony of excellence, somehow making car chases seem exciting again. Wright's commitment to the concept is commendable, even if the film suffers from third act sag. If Baby Driver had as strong a third act as the first two, I would say this would be one of the year's best. However, as it stands, it is a unique entry in the summer canon that I hope turns people to Edgar Wright's other works. I'm happy to see that Baby Driver is performing well, which should hopefully give more fuel for Wright's boundless creativity.
Rating: 7/10
The films follows Baby (Ansel Elgort), a young man stuck in an inescapable situation. After being caught stealing and subsequently destroying some precious stock, Baby is forced to work for criminal Doc (Kevin Spacey), who helps him on his elaborate heists to pay off his debt. For, with the help of his iPod, Baby is an amazing getaway driver, who also happens to suffer from tinnitus following a car accident as a child. Baby is on the verge of paying off his final piece of debt to Doc, so makes plans to finally leave Atlanta and strike out on his own (maybe accompanied by a waitress friend he has met - Debora, as played by Lily James). However, Doc has other plans for Baby and pulls him in for another heist against his will. With criminals Bats (Jamie Foxx), Buddy (Jon Hamm) and Darling (Eiza Gonázlez) in toe, things begin to go south for Baby as he soon finds it difficult to escape this criminal world...
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| Baby Driver is a thrilling, and often very funny, action film that suffers slightly in the plot department but makes up for it the visual and filmmaking department |
The dialogue is just as razor sharp as you'd expect it to be. I think Wright is toying with certain action character clichés to point of almost spoofing them (though not quite to the degree of Hot Fuzz). In fact, it almost feels like a film that the characters from Hot Fuzz would idolise. The difference is Baby himself. This is a fairly unique character for a mainstream action film and the film spends a good amount of time establishing his motives and character. In particular, I like the scenes with his foster father, where they have to sign to each to communicate as he is deaf. I do bemoan a bit that the rest of the cast are fairly generic (though I imagine this is likely the point), even if the performances themselves are excellent. Jamie Foxx in particular is a highlight. The set-up is great and well executed. With acts one and two, Baby Driver seems to be heading in a unique and very funny direction. So I was a little disappointed when the film takes the direction it does. It's still kinetic and exciting, don't get me wrong, I just wish it could have found a more unique direction to take after the promise of the first half of the film.
That said, Baby Driver's slightly generic plot is masked by Wright's incredible filmmaking. Every frame of this film is meticulously planned and executed gorgeously. The soundtrack and general sound design are a symphony of excellence, somehow making car chases seem exciting again. Wright's commitment to the concept is commendable, even if the film suffers from third act sag. If Baby Driver had as strong a third act as the first two, I would say this would be one of the year's best. However, as it stands, it is a unique entry in the summer canon that I hope turns people to Edgar Wright's other works. I'm happy to see that Baby Driver is performing well, which should hopefully give more fuel for Wright's boundless creativity.
Rating: 7/10
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