Never have I ever left a cinema so happy after watching Edgar Wright’s latest masterpiece ‘Baby Driver’.
Whilst siting in the cinema with some people who were also very curious to see what Edgar Wright could dish out this time, we wondered if the film could live up to the incredible hype and general love that it has received around the world. Since it was released about 3 weeks earlier in the US compared to here in Australia, I tried to avoid as much as I could and oh was I ever so pleased to have walked into ‘Baby Driver’ without knowing much about it. You know it’s a good sign when your eyes don’t leave the screen for the entire 113 minute run-time.
‘Baby Driver’, starring Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Eliza Gonzalez, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx, follows young getaway driver Baby (Ansel Elgort). Baby tends to plan out his getaway routes with different music and he is considered the best driver by his “boss” Doc (Kevin Spacey), who he works for because of an event that put them together in the past. After meeting the love of his life, Deborah (Lily James), he wants to get out of this criminal life. But a doomed heist threatens to destroy his life and the people who love him.
I’m just going to state right now that I LOVED ‘Baby Driver’. When I got back from seeing it, I was on what seemed like a happiness high for the rest of the night. It is easily one of the most original, fun, electric and pulsating films of not only the year, but the decade.
Easily one of the biggest positives that I have to mention is the soundtrack. It isn’t your typical kind of movie soundtrack that is only used to make each scene slightly more interesting or intense, but the entire movie is actually based around the soundtrack and you can tell that by every scene you get to see in ‘Baby Driver’. From gun shots matching the beat of ‘Tequila’, to an adrenaline fueled opening car chase with ‘Bellbottoms’ exploding through the speakers, every piece of music that plays, perfectly suits and matches what is happening on-screen. It’s easily a soundtrack that I will listen to for the next month.
Another positive is the amazing performances from the all-star cast. Ansel Elgort is amazing as the titular character. He is charismatic, innocent, relatable and funny as f#%@ in this role. He is not only able to pull off this role with ease, but he adds even more depth and humanity to the character and it is mesmerizing to watch. Lily James was the biggest surprise in my opinion. I didn’t expect her to be as good as she was in the film. Her chemistry with Ansel was one of the biggest highlights and it was one of the cutest relationships to watch blossom on-screen. Kevin Spacey was great as always. I didn’t expect him to have as large of a role as he ended up having, which was nice to see. But the actors who easily stole the show were Jon Hamm and Jaime Foxx. Seeing both of them as sleazy criminals was a joy to witness. Jon had a larger role compared to Jaime, but they were both equally as good as each other and I could imagine Jaime getting a supporting actor nomination in the upcoming awards seasons.
Now, Edgar Wright knows how to direct a movie. Every movie he has made has focused on different genres and themes, yet they all have his visual flair and style and every one of them are some of my favourite movies of all time. ‘Baby Driver’ is yet another well-directed movie from Edgar Wright and you can see it from the opening scene alone. The way he utilizes Atlanta in the movie, makes it seem like it is also a character. It comes to life with the mixture of the music and amazing action set-pieces which is a marvel to behold.
The Editing is to die for in ‘Baby Driver’. The whole movie is edited with precision and sharpness, which results in a ridiculously fast-paced movie. If this doesn’t pick up a nomination for editing and sound editing, I will be shocked.
Another positive is the pace of the movie. Each act builds upon the one that came before it, and it just seems to get better and better as it goes along. The third act in particular was one of the greatest and most intense movie acts that I have ever seen in my life. It also included one of the craziest scenes that has been shot on film to date. If you have seen it, you probably know what I’m talking about.
The writing is also brilliant. It’s your typical Edgar Wright script, which means you have a great mixture of comedy, drama and action. Every line of dialogue was great and it has resulted in one of the most quotable movies of the year.
I’m struggling to find a single negative with ‘Baby Driver’, so if you came here for negatives, you will be very disappointed with me.
Overall, ‘Baby Driver’ is one of the most unique and original films to come out this year. It’s like a musical on wheels and I couldn’t get sick of it. The great performances, unbelievable soundtrack and amazing direction/writing has resulted in a modern masterpiece. From its amazing opening set piece, you’ll be hooked and you shall be on the edge of your seat for one hell of a crazy ride.
Rating: 5/5
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