dir. by Edgar Wright
Edgar Wright spent the 2000s slowly rising to superstar status. Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and The World's End established him as a powerful voice in action comedy, and despite leaving the project in 2014, Marvel still built on his script for their Ant-Man film. However, he hasn't had a directing credit since 2013, and so when his follow-up to The World's End was revealed, it was a big deal.
This new film, Baby Driver, has a strong claim to being his very best to date. A very different film from the "Cornetto trilogy," it repurposes genre tropes around a thrillingly unique premise and perhaps an even stronger sense of style than Wright's prior works, and excepting the very occasional overwritten line, it's thrillingly idiosyncratic and beautifully stylized, boasting sublime action and some of the most satisfying rhythms of Wright's entire career.
Baby (Ansel Elgort) is the main getaway driver for crime lord Doc (Kevin Spacey). His coworkers know him for the headphones he wears in order to drown out his tinnitus. He does criminal work to pay off a debt he acquired when he was younger, and wants out as soon as possible. In the meantime, he starts a relationship with Debora (Lily James), with whom he hopes to some day drive away from the city.
Strictly speaking, Baby Driver is not an original story. The tropes which build up its narrative, including the base premise of the criminal trying to go straight, are well-worn, but as applied to the film's unique visual grammar, they feel fresh. The central idea of a driver who listens to music is a novel enough quirk on its own, but it's surrounded an intelligent script which makes its villains as three-dimensional and peculiar as its heroes, even at their most monstrous. The plot twists rarely surprise, but the protagonists are likable and charismatic, and the villains are fun and memorable, and that contributes a lot to the narrative's flavour.
The character work is bolstered by great, charismatic performances around the board. Elgort delivers a charming performance as Baby, selling his controlled persona in earlier scenes while also succeeding with the stronger emotional beats of the later acts. He's good at what he does, but he's got a level of compassion uncommon in his line of work. The only other actor forced to deliver quite the same range is John Hamm, who skillfully juggles a variety of emotions as the drug addict Buddy, but Spacey and James, as well as Jamie Foxx and Eiza Gonzales in supporting roles, sink into their roles and energetically deliver their often humorous dialogue.
Intermittently, and especially before the film has fully established its characters, Wright's script can feel affected, but all of these quirks soon relax into recognizable character traits, and before long the film's heart overwhelms any feelings of affectation. Wright's earlier films were often heartfelt, most notably The World's End, but while Baby Driver is still often funny, it stands out as much more of a pure action movie than anything he's made before, and all of its romance and tension is played entirely straight. Part of the film's charm comes from its sincerity, and each frame oozes with affection for Wright's influences.
Bill Pope's gorgeous photography underlines each comedic punchline and enhances the vibrancy of the setting, and the action scenes are kinetic yet never forego clarity. When Baby is driving, the stuntwork is impressive, and the film is cut to build a sense of speed while still framing Baby's car. He swerves through turns, kicks objects with his wheels, and at one point even drives on a sloped wall. Even in the quiet moments, the cinematography underlines the tone and emotion of the scene, and the combination of camera angles and the diverse colour palette makes for a visually distinctive picture.
Baby Driver is most obviously distinguished by its soundtrack, which mixes major hits ("Easy" by Commodores), deep cuts ("Bellbottoms" by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion), and even original songs (specifically, one collaboration between Danger Mouse, Run the Jewels, and Big Boi). The soundtrack always has an in-universe source, and not only does it always enhance the mood of any given scene, it's also blended with the onscreen action to give action scenes a rhythmic feel. The soundtrack is excellent all around, adding to the thrill of the film's action as well as further enhancing its distinctive identity.
If Baby Driver feels like a breath of fresh air, that's not because it lacks tropes, but because it uses them in creative and sincere ways. Few blockbusters are this stylized, so when a major studio releases something this creative and intelligent, it's nothing short of a miracle. Which isn't to say that Baby Driver is only excellent because it lacks competition; rather, it's a thrilling, unique, and clever action film, the likes of which the summer season hasn't had since Mad Max: Fury Road (although the two are quite different), and if it doesn't quite meet that benchmark, it sure does come close.
9/10
+ Stylish, rhythmic direction
+ Funny, inventive script
+ Clear, kinetic action
+ A wide cast of memorable characters
+ Phenomenal soundtrack
- Sometimes too clever for its own good
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Todd Throndson
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