I'm a fan of Edgar Wright's work, but Baby Driver was a movie that caught me by surprise. Judging from the advertising alone, I was convinced it was a generic heist movie, and thought nothing more of it. After a while, I kept hearing more and more about how great it was, and finally decided to see for myself. I was pleasantly rewarded for taking that chance, and will never doubt Edgar Wright again.
Baby Driver centers itself around the tale of a young, yet gifted getaway driver (played by Ansel Elgort) who calls himself Baby, appropriately enough. While he enjoys driving, Baby wants to escape his secret life of crime after one last job, but his boss Doc (Kevin Spacey) is intent on keeping him under his thumb. As the story progresses, Baby falls for Deborah, a local waitress (Lily James), which causes trouble for just about everyone.
I make no exaggeration when I say that this film will likely be studied by future film students. There are some incredible stunt driving sequences, whip smart dialogue, a delightful attention to colour, and some of the best editing I've seen on screen in a long time.
These elements alone are enough to make Baby Driver a classic, but the soundtrack is what will solidify it into your memory. Baby is a character with a deep connection to music, and as such, there is barely a moment that goes by that isn't punctuated with some sort of music. This isn't simply music for music's sake, either. It's clear that this soundtrack was very carefully curated, and has enough variety to suit any taste in music. The songs featured range from The Beach Boys to Young MC to Simon and Garfunkel, and not one feels out of place. The songs serve to enhance the action as well as add some extra emotional context for the characters.
Speaking of character, Baby Driver has a wealth of talent from start to finish. Ansel Elgort's acting is reserved, but perfectly attuned to the other personalities in this film. It helps that this rising star has some excellent backup in the supporting cast. Lily James plays a perfect girl next door, with Eiza Gonzalez as Darling, her criminal opposite. Jon Hamm plays the mercurial Buddy, who steals a fair number of scenes with his simmering performance. Finally, Kevin Spacey ties everything together as the fatherly and tyrannical crime boss.
With Baby Driver, Edgar Wright has combined eye-popping action, an impressive soundtrack and an extremely memorable cast to make a film that will be remembered long after it's gone from the big screen.
