Baby Driver
Baby (Ansel Elgort) is a young and exceedingly talented getaway driver working for Doc (Kevin Spacey) in order to pay off a debt incurred by stealing one of his vehicles some time previously. At a local diner, he meets and falls in love with a waitress named Debora (Lily James). They both yearn to drive as far as possible out of the city with no plan, never to return, in true Springsteen fashion. But despite paying his dues, Doc won't let him leave the business.
I can relate to our protagonist more than in most films, a young man who rarely takes his headphones out (to combat tinnitus, which at least I am yet to acquire), soundtracking his days and miming through the streets of Atlanta. This is one of those movies where the score* really stands out and it's clear that writer and director Edgar Wright has agonised over the selection of each song. I particularly enjoyed the repeated usage of "Easy" by The Commodores. The film's standout set piece sees Baby hightailing it through the streets on foot and the track choice is pretty much perfect.
Elgort is believable as the uncorrupted young man who finds himself sliding into criminality but is keen not to harm any innocent victims. Spacey isn't overextending himself here but brings gravitas to every role. Jamie Foxx's character "Bats" has a nice line in lunacy whilst Jon Hamm has some villainous business for the first time in a while. The movie looks terrific, has genuinely thrilling car chases and even concludes in a way that doesn't seem entirely ridiculous (but is still a bit ridiculous). I've not always enjoyed Wright's work (Scott Pilgrim vs The World and The World's End really didn't work for me), but he's a painstaking and passionate director who has crafted a terrific piece of work here that feels like a love letter to Americana.
Some more exposition regarding Baby's past wouldn't have gone amiss but it was pretty much the perfect length. I left the cinema, put "Thrash Unreal" by Against Me! on and mouthed the words down the street. Baby Driver is stylish, cool and absolutely terrific fun.
* Bats observes "You don't need a score for a score" in one of the film's wittier lines.
I can relate to our protagonist more than in most films, a young man who rarely takes his headphones out (to combat tinnitus, which at least I am yet to acquire), soundtracking his days and miming through the streets of Atlanta. This is one of those movies where the score* really stands out and it's clear that writer and director Edgar Wright has agonised over the selection of each song. I particularly enjoyed the repeated usage of "Easy" by The Commodores. The film's standout set piece sees Baby hightailing it through the streets on foot and the track choice is pretty much perfect.
Elgort is believable as the uncorrupted young man who finds himself sliding into criminality but is keen not to harm any innocent victims. Spacey isn't overextending himself here but brings gravitas to every role. Jamie Foxx's character "Bats" has a nice line in lunacy whilst Jon Hamm has some villainous business for the first time in a while. The movie looks terrific, has genuinely thrilling car chases and even concludes in a way that doesn't seem entirely ridiculous (but is still a bit ridiculous). I've not always enjoyed Wright's work (Scott Pilgrim vs The World and The World's End really didn't work for me), but he's a painstaking and passionate director who has crafted a terrific piece of work here that feels like a love letter to Americana.
Some more exposition regarding Baby's past wouldn't have gone amiss but it was pretty much the perfect length. I left the cinema, put "Thrash Unreal" by Against Me! on and mouthed the words down the street. Baby Driver is stylish, cool and absolutely terrific fun.
* Bats observes "You don't need a score for a score" in one of the film's wittier lines.
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