Oh, Baby. I haven't seen Edgar Wright's previous work, but now he's on my list.
Baby, a young getaway driver, is almost done. His next job for criminal mastermind Doc (Kevin Spacey) will be his last, as his debt will finally be paid. But this heist may be the most dangerous, and the new ragtag crew Doc assembled seems determined to tear each other apart. Baby's involvement gets even more complicated when his deaf guardian/friend is threatened by a thug, and when his new romantic interest Debora (Lily James) plans to run away with him.
While far from original in structure, Baby Driver more than makes up novelty points in delivery. It's all in the details, the little interactions between characters, and the moments when our hero is alone with his music. This flick is half soundtrack, half car chases, which doesn't sound so appealing to some of us, but the two mesh perfectly in Wright's capable hands. He combines breakneck action thrills with slick comedy and earnest young-love drama with the surety of a master craftsman; that is to say, he lets the beat of the film develop into a stylish joy ride. He knows exactly what he's doing even when we don't, and I'm itching to go see it again to catch the things I missed.
The soundtrack, it's true, threatens to overwhelm the movie at times, but Wright's strong screenplay ensures nothing is taken for granted here. He allows each actor to flesh out his or her character (though some, like Jon Bernthal, are just not used enough), and keeps the action relevant to the dramatic arc of the story. The music creates a second layer, an aural level to the story that both heightens the drama and grounds it in a directly accessible medium of storytelling. More importantly, the spectacle of car chases and fabulous music keep us more thoroughly entertained than any movie yet this year. This is what a summer blockbuster should be: unapologetically fun with style. It proves that fast-paced action flicks can be smart, and be better for it.
IMDb: Baby Driver
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