BABY DRIVER Review

So, I sit here at my laptop, an hour or two after seeing Baby Driver, faced with a rather curious predicament: How do I write a coherent review for this film that isn't just me raving about all the awesomeness that's been unleashed before my eyeballs like a hyperactive ten-year-old. Granted, I'm not one to pretend that I'm some unsung genius in the already densely populated realm of online film criticism What I will say first and foremost is that this flick is an absolute must-see (both as a visionary, adrenaline-fueled cinematic experience and as a rare work of original filmmaking).

When I saw The World's End way back in the long forgotten days of 2013, I had a comforting feeling that a movie like this would come from Edgar Wright anytime soon considering how his ability to curate a soundtrack that's simultaneously eclectic, joyously obscure and uncannily relevant to the events that unfold in his flicks. As you can probably guess, Baby Driver is no exception. If anything, it takes that well-established trick of his and cranks it up to eleven. It's use of music is as intelligent as it is seamless. The way one track would blend into another kind of reminded me of how Birdman used clever editing to make it all look like one continuous shot. If there's one thing I'd say you shouldn't look too deep into, its definitely the music. Going into the film knowing little to nothing about what tracks Wright drops in here does carry a delightful sense of surprise that adds more to the overall experience.

How about the acting? Personally, Ansel Elgort is a revelation here as the musically-inclined getaway driver described so elegantly in the title. While the trailers do properly sell the coolness of his character, Elgort brings a lot of personality to the role just from his body language and an admirable amount of charming physicality. Lily James is sweet enough to effectively pull off the whole love interest schtick while also being capable enough to not be your run-of-the-mill damsel in distress. Kevin Spacey basically just plays Kevin Spacey here; but, that certainly isn't a bad thing. Jamie Foxx is gloriously sleazy and disgustingly unlikable as "Bats". Jon Hamm and Eiza Gonzales are wonderful as this film's Bonnie and Clyde (especially Jon Hamm once the third act kicks into high gear). Even minor players like Jon Bernthal, Flea and even Paul Williams are fun when they pop up throughout the 113 minute running time.

And then, there's the action. Where do I begin to talk about the action? Call me crazy if you will; but, I'd say this film is almost on par with Mad Max: Fury Road when it comes to car chase action flicks. Aside from the relief of knowing what's happening on-screen is old-school practical stuntwork, this film is also a textbook example of what is one of the best tricks that director Edgar Wright has up his sleeve: editing. The action here (as is the case with everything else here) is so well-edited, you could practically teach a class on how to masterfully edit a film for the sake of pacing and pure entertainment.


In the end, I find myself going back to a quote from Doug Walker ("It's a movie so good, I'm jealous of it."). With its memorable characters/dialogue and instantly iconic action sequences, its the kind of movie that's the reason I love the art of cinema as much as I do.

BABY DRIVER gets my brand-spanking-new rating of...
ALL-TIME CLASSIC out of TEN

DO NOT MISS THIS MOVIE, FOLKS! I know there's a ton of new blockbusters flowing into the multiplexes every week or so (most of which are probably fantastic); but, it's still important support original flicks like this that aren't based off comic books or sequels, especially when they're as close to perfect as this movie is. Seriously, I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. Don't be shocked if this ends up being my favorite movie of the year. Give it a watch or two! See you all around!