Review- Baby Driver
Edgar Wright, you son of a bitch. You magnificent son of a bitch.
Baby Driver is the new film from the worlds coolest auteur Edgar Wright and it is a heist movie set to music. It's not quite a musical but lets just say it isn't a surprise that when running a strand at BFI Southbank to celebrate the film, it was called Car Car Land. The story of Baby Driver is one that (appropriately) spins all around the place, constantly turning and evolving and so it's hard to pitch the exact plot. Essentially, the key things you need to know are that Baby, our lead character, works for Doc, a mysterious figure who is always trying to operate heists. In these heists, Baby is always the driver but he wants to get out because he's fallen in love with a waitress named Debora. If you've seen the trailers then you'll have a good idea of where the film goes but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't. Regardless, it was a story that brought an odd amount of emotion for an action comedy and one in which I was able to predict just one event more than a minute before it happened.
Action films are hardly known for amazing performances but Baby Driver marks a change in that too, offering fantastic performances for any film, not just an action film. Ansel Elgort leads the charge as Baby and is just fantastic. I've been a fan of his since The Fault in our Stars in which he genuinely gave a great performance but while he is called Baby, this role is much more mature. He has gravitas and real charm and proves to be a great action star. His love interest Debora is played by Lily James, an actress who I've seen little of due to her work mainly being in period dramas but she is another charismatic presence here. Most impressive is her accent which will fool anyone into thinking she isn't British and her delivery of the line "B-A-B-Y baby?" may be one of my favourite moments in the film. Kevin Spacey is the enigmatic figure here and he has some great fun letting evil creep into various moments, but then again, the man never disappoints. Jamie Foxx is what is a fairly generic criminal character but he brings flair and aggression to that and makes him a character who is scary to be around. Finally, and possibly best of all, is Jon Hamm. I love this man and have never seen him give a single bad performance but this is a whole other level. This isn't Mad Men Hamm, this isn't even Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Hamm, this is a terrifying new beast. He is charming yet, as the film ramps up, he becomes a twisted man and one who was a real delight to see go truly full on. Not a single bad performance is the gist of what I'm trying to say.
If there's one thing this film can excel at above all else though, that is action. I've stated many times that what makes Hot Fuzz so good is how it moves from loving pastiche into superior of the action films it has just been referencing and the genuine talent with directing action carries over here. All of the car chases are high adrenaline and will have you on the edge of your seat, tense and laughing with glee at how amazing the sights you're witnessing are. Best of all, all the major stunts in the film are completely practical. Everything from the insane drifts to the characters in the cars is all real, all happening. No green screen, that really is a terrified Jon Hamm in the back of that car. What elevates the action though is music becuase Edgar Wright appears to have crafted this film just to have the most amazing soundtrack possible. Not only are the songs great themselves, the action on screen is all choreographed to it and when I mean action, I mean everything. Boot slams, gunshots, steps on the street as Baby goes to get coffee. It gives the film this incredible rhythm that means when it finally ended, I was kind of shocked at how quick it had gone and I guess that is my one flaw. The end comes out of nowhere because you are thoroughly on board the whole time. It never slows down for one second and that is a great thing.
Look, if you have any interest in films that contain any form of action, you have to go see this. It is a film that remains original yet still has time to reference Blues Brothers, Kill Bill and the films of David Lynch. Wright has the spark of a first time director, the polish of a man who truly understands his craft and the action and cast of a true blockbuster. Hell, even if you don't really like action, you should still go see this, it may just change your mind. It may not but a film this original deserves to make as much money as possible. I will lead the charge on that because I am going to see this movie as much as I possibly can. There may be a better film this year but if there is, 2017 will have been one hell of a year for movies as I can easily give Baby Driver my perfect score of a
Baby Driver is the new film from the worlds coolest auteur Edgar Wright and it is a heist movie set to music. It's not quite a musical but lets just say it isn't a surprise that when running a strand at BFI Southbank to celebrate the film, it was called Car Car Land. The story of Baby Driver is one that (appropriately) spins all around the place, constantly turning and evolving and so it's hard to pitch the exact plot. Essentially, the key things you need to know are that Baby, our lead character, works for Doc, a mysterious figure who is always trying to operate heists. In these heists, Baby is always the driver but he wants to get out because he's fallen in love with a waitress named Debora. If you've seen the trailers then you'll have a good idea of where the film goes but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't. Regardless, it was a story that brought an odd amount of emotion for an action comedy and one in which I was able to predict just one event more than a minute before it happened.
Action films are hardly known for amazing performances but Baby Driver marks a change in that too, offering fantastic performances for any film, not just an action film. Ansel Elgort leads the charge as Baby and is just fantastic. I've been a fan of his since The Fault in our Stars in which he genuinely gave a great performance but while he is called Baby, this role is much more mature. He has gravitas and real charm and proves to be a great action star. His love interest Debora is played by Lily James, an actress who I've seen little of due to her work mainly being in period dramas but she is another charismatic presence here. Most impressive is her accent which will fool anyone into thinking she isn't British and her delivery of the line "B-A-B-Y baby?" may be one of my favourite moments in the film. Kevin Spacey is the enigmatic figure here and he has some great fun letting evil creep into various moments, but then again, the man never disappoints. Jamie Foxx is what is a fairly generic criminal character but he brings flair and aggression to that and makes him a character who is scary to be around. Finally, and possibly best of all, is Jon Hamm. I love this man and have never seen him give a single bad performance but this is a whole other level. This isn't Mad Men Hamm, this isn't even Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Hamm, this is a terrifying new beast. He is charming yet, as the film ramps up, he becomes a twisted man and one who was a real delight to see go truly full on. Not a single bad performance is the gist of what I'm trying to say.
If there's one thing this film can excel at above all else though, that is action. I've stated many times that what makes Hot Fuzz so good is how it moves from loving pastiche into superior of the action films it has just been referencing and the genuine talent with directing action carries over here. All of the car chases are high adrenaline and will have you on the edge of your seat, tense and laughing with glee at how amazing the sights you're witnessing are. Best of all, all the major stunts in the film are completely practical. Everything from the insane drifts to the characters in the cars is all real, all happening. No green screen, that really is a terrified Jon Hamm in the back of that car. What elevates the action though is music becuase Edgar Wright appears to have crafted this film just to have the most amazing soundtrack possible. Not only are the songs great themselves, the action on screen is all choreographed to it and when I mean action, I mean everything. Boot slams, gunshots, steps on the street as Baby goes to get coffee. It gives the film this incredible rhythm that means when it finally ended, I was kind of shocked at how quick it had gone and I guess that is my one flaw. The end comes out of nowhere because you are thoroughly on board the whole time. It never slows down for one second and that is a great thing.
Look, if you have any interest in films that contain any form of action, you have to go see this. It is a film that remains original yet still has time to reference Blues Brothers, Kill Bill and the films of David Lynch. Wright has the spark of a first time director, the polish of a man who truly understands his craft and the action and cast of a true blockbuster. Hell, even if you don't really like action, you should still go see this, it may just change your mind. It may not but a film this original deserves to make as much money as possible. I will lead the charge on that because I am going to see this movie as much as I possibly can. There may be a better film this year but if there is, 2017 will have been one hell of a year for movies as I can easily give Baby Driver my perfect score of a
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