Baby Driver
Written and directed by auteur Edgar Wright, Baby Driver is a breath of fresh air for action films. And I almost didn't go because I thought, "Well that's a stupid title."
Baby Driver (2017) is the story of a young man, Baby (Ansel Elgort), forced into working for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey). He's a talented driver, but as "last heist and I'm quitting crime forever" heist's go, nothing's quite that simple.
A while back I wrote a review on one of the Fast and Furious movies (I don't know which, but it makes little difference). I talked about how, while I'm not really into them, they are passionate about at least one thing. They have no small amount of your standard physics-defying stunts, but at the core, they're always about family. And if that's their only redeeming quality for me, it's a pretty darn good one.
What is Baby Driver passionate about? Action Movies. Writer and director Edgar Wright brings a new kind of vision to the genre. There are car chases, yes, but there's also plot, music, and character depth.
What do I mean? Well, for starters the plot's intriguing. Somehow, Wright manages to turn the "one last heist" tale into something that feels new. It's almost like a love letter to an action film (not my words; everyone's calling it). Wright keeps in the classic action story "tropes" (for lack of a better word), but goes one step further for us novices and skeptics (a.k.a. me) and shows us why they're beautiful.
Wright keeps in the classic "tropes" (for lack of a better word), but goes ones step further for us novices and skeptics (a.k.a. me) and shows us why they're beautiful.
My favorite part was the music. Most, if not all, films have soundtracks, but Baby Driver handles its music in a unique way. Wright must love his job because he took on no easy task by setting his story to music, meticulously timing out scenes to beats. And not just any beats, but the classics. It's cool and fun and flows so well with the style of the film it doesn't feel cheesy.
Last, but not least, the acting. Any movie with Kevin Spacey in it is bound to be pretty solid and this is no exception. Spacey is commanding in his role as crime boss "Doc." Jon Hamm, Eliza González, and Jamie Foxx are part of his crew, each doing well in their respective roles. They don't fade into the background to provide entertainment or move the plot at convenient times. The "supporting actors" are a crucial element to the story. And, while I may never have pictured Ansel Elgort as the lead in an action film, perhaps that is just what Wright intended. Elgort brings a sort of boyish charm and doesn't take himself too seriously which, when I think about it, actually flows better with the film's style.
I had to take a class once in a subject I didn't either like or understand. The only thing that made it worthwhile was that I had a professor who loved it. It ended up being one of my favorite classes. Having someone who's passionate about whatever they're sharing can change everything for the receiver. And it certainly did in this case. Edgar Wright found beauty in the ordinary (as ordinary as action films can be) and for that, my $5 was totally worth it (and another $13.99 I'll spend when it's out on DVD).