Review – Baby Driver
With Baby Driver, director Edgar Wright has created something only a true master of the craft could make. This a movie that brings so many genres together, Quentin Tarantino would be jealous. It’s a heist film, action film, car film, gangster film, musical, comedy, and love story, all rolled into one, two hour epic that keeps your heart pumping and your face smiling.
After a run-in with crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey) when he was younger, Baby (Ansel Elgort) becomes a getaway driver for Doc’s elaborate heists to pay for his mistake. When Baby’s debt to Doc is almost paid off, he is asked to do one more job for Doc, because, as Doc claims, he’s his lucky charm. Baby is reluctant to take this job, especially when he starts a relationship with a charming diner waitress, Debora (Lily James), and is working with an unreliable crew. Baby then tries to figure out how to get out of the crime life and start a new life with Debora without getting killed.
Edgar Wright has a style unlike any other director working today. Like icons Scorsese, Tarantino, and Spielberg, there are certain storytelling tropes and motifs that are in all of his movies that distinguish him from other filmmakers. In Baby Driver, he has done his best work as a director to date. Combining all of those genres together so smoothly and making a cohesive story out of all of them is pure genius. From the opening bank robbery, to the single-take credit sequence, to chase scenes that laugh in the face of any Fast and Furious movie, to the endearing, delightful love story, this movie has something for everybody. But what makes this movie even more impressive is what Wright did with the music. Every scene is set and edited to fit the song in the scene. In a mix of diagetic and non-diagetic music, each scene is alive and has it’s story told through music. It also helps that the soundtrack, which is a mix indie, rock, and even a little hip-hop, is the best movie soundtrack since the original Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
Wright also puts together a stellar cast that all shine. Elgort shows his star potential as Baby. He throws on his game face during the job, yet let’s his personality out when talking to Debora and listening to his music. The chemistry with James is excellent. From the moment they meet, it is immediate fireworks and you just fall in love with them. Spacey is delightfully evil as Doc. Jon Hamm, Eiza Gonzalez, and Jon Bernthal are having a ball as some of the criminals Baby works with. And Jamie Foxx is a scene stealer as the quick trigered criminal, Bats. He reminded of Foxx’s character from Horrible Bosses (2011), Mother Fucker Jones, if Mr. Jones was actually a successful criminal.
Baby Driver is the definition of cool. Everything about this movie is smooth, awesome, and fun. With rousing heists, slick action, great direction, moments of comedy, a timeless love story, and a soon-to-be legendary soundtrack, director Edgar Wright has crafted one of the wildest and most unique movies of the year.
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