Baby Driver

There’s a certain buzz you have after watching a great film, an electric feeling of having seen something so vibrant and indelible that it feels like something you’ll cherish for a long time and which makes many other films pale in comparison. I was awash in that feeling after walking out of Edgar Wright’s latest film, Baby Driver.

Baby (Ansel Elgort) is a getaway driver working for crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey). While Doc continually switches his teams of bank robbers including criminals like Darlin’ (Elza Gonzalez), Buddy (Jon Hamm) and Griff (Jon Bernthal), Baby is so good at driving that Doc has kept him on for every job. An accident from Baby’s past left him suffering from tinnitus, meaning that he almost constantly plays music to drown out the painful “hum in the drum”; in, fact, he’s so reliant on music that he times both his getaway driving and his normal life to the songs he’s listening to. His life changes significantly when he meets Deborah (Lily James), a girl with just as great a love for music. Baby and Deborah immediately hit it off, but any hopes of a romantic future are put in peril by Baby’s continuing involvement with Doc and a new threat in Bats (Jamie Foxx), a psychopathic criminal who takes instant issue with Baby.

Baby Driver is a film which strives on its musical soundtrack, with many sequences often edited to fit in with the songs being played. Happily, every song is chosen perfectly; from the very beginning, where The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s Bellbottoms both elevates the wonderful charm and exhilaration of proceedings, the musical selections feel inspired and wildly cool. Perhaps the most ingenious use of a song here is that of Barry White’s Never, Never Gonna Give You Up; the introduction of the song, and the scene in which it is played, gives the song a completely unexpected context which really works for the events on display. As you can tell from the pictured ticket, it’s been a while since I saw Baby Driver, but I purchased the soundtrack as soon as I could after the showing and I’ve been listening to it almost non-stop ever since.

While there are some dialogue scenes where the music takes a back-seat, it’s always there riding shotgun during the action sequences. These action sequences are some of the most edge-of-the-seat affairs to have graced the screen this year. Aided by outstanding practical stunts (there appeared to be very little CGI used, and if any was used, I didn’t notice it for a second) and the fluid verve of Bill Pope’s cinematography, every action set-piece is a marvel to behold. The contents of the action is nothing we haven’t seen before, but as presented both visually and aurally, it’s a dazzling musical blast of creative camerawork and magnificent, rat-a-tat editing courtesy of Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss. For those looking for a thrill-ride, the action here is stellar and puts many other films with larger budgets to shame.

As well as the skill invested in every beat, the action in Baby Driver simply wouldn’t be as enthralling without the great characters that are involved. As Baby, Ansel Elgort makes a compelling bid for film stardom. Firstly, the guy has the ‘look’; from his first scene, he has undeniable screen presence. But, more so than that, he’s able to suggest so much without saying anything. Baby can just sit idly, and yet you get the feeling he’s always assessing and contemplating his surroundings, whether it be the music or the criminals he often accompanies. Elgort never plays it too cool for school, though; there’s always a warmth and effortless likeability to him that makes Baby a character you can easily root for, not to mention a vulnerability which adds extra humanity and intrigue. Baby’s romance with Deborah is the heart of the film, and the chemistry between Elgort and James simply lights up the screen. James is a beautiful screen presence in every way possible; her smile is heart-melting, and she makes Deborah such a gorgeously magnetic presence that it’s no surprise Baby falls for her. The conversations between the two show a longing for love and a life far away, and I found that connection to be portrayed beautifully. The supporting cast here is nothing short of superb. Kevin Spacey, one of my favourite actors, sinks his teeth into the role of Doc with clear relish. This is the kind of role Spacey aces, one laced with a wicked sense of humour and a no-nonsense menace, and ace it Spacey does. What’s more, the relationship between Baby and Doc has a surprising undercurrent which only lends their interactions more dimension and human interest. As criminal couple Buddy and Darling, Jon Hamm and Elza Gonzalez are both terrific. While I haven’t seen much for Gonzalez before, it’s safe to say that I’m excited to see what she does next after her work here. Darling is a character who knows how to use her sultriness to her advantage, and Gonzalez excellently plays that ‘femme fatale’ element of the character. But Gonzalez also adds shades of caring and grit which make her so much more than eye candy. Hamm likewise lends layers to Buddy which make him much more than he initially appears. While Hamm can do charismatic in his sleep, he also portrays Buddy as someone who has reserves of both compassion and rage. When those burst to the surface, Hamm delivers a gleefully against-type turn which is electrifying to watch. Against-type could also apply to Jamie Foxx; while Foxx’s natural charm is present here, he delivers it in such slithery style that there’s almost uncomfortable tension every time Bats is present. This character is easily one of the nastiest Foxx has ever portrayed, and he revels in the edgy ruthlessness. You’re never sure how events will play out when Bats is involved, and Foxx’s unsettling presence personifies that uneasiness with great assurance. The unexpected depth and uncertainty in the relationships between characters is one of Baby Driver’s biggest strengths, and only helps to make the narrative more invigorating. Jon Bernthal, CJ Jones, Lanny Joon, Paul Williams and Flea of Red Hot Chilli Peppers fame all do strong work in smaller roles, making memorable impressions in often limited screen time.  

The main person to thank for such a compelling narrative is writer-director Edgar Wright. Out of his previous cinematic writer-director credits (2004’s Shaun of the Dead, 2007’s Hot Fuzz, 2010’s Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World and 2013’s The World’s End), I’ve loved them all without fail. However, Baby Driver may be my new favourite film of his. Wright brings his usual vitality and keen wit for dialogue (every character, even the minor ones, gets smart, hilarious and magnetically entertaining dialogue), but he feels like he’s honed his skills more as a director. That’s not just true for the incredible action, but also for the sheer style on display here. The dynamic colours, the great camera work, the command of the musical soundtrack… Every breath-taking moment of Baby Driver feels like an escalation of Wright’s craft. Baby Driver feels fittingly like a mix-tape of different genres without any of them taking away from the impact of the others. Comedy, action, thriller, musical, romance… The film blends all genres near-faultlessly to create a sensation all its own. Wright’s writing and direction are effortless; proceedings often have a Tarantino-esque style and tension, but there’s no denying that this is Wright’s voice shining through every step of the way. No writer-director working today possesses the same energetic panache as Wright, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Simply put, Baby Driver is a cinematic thrill-ride. While there are some fantastical elements at play here, the film still feels grounded enough that the stakes are intensely real. The Atlanta location and practical stunts add further authenticity to events. The magnificently fleet-footed cinematography and editing result in the film being paced to perfection; every scene feels like it’s building to something, and when the frantic final third kicks into high gear, all that build-up is paid off beautifully. Every cast member delivers top-notch work which is in perfect step with the material. Orchestrating every crunching car swerve and every spot-on musical choice with a pronounced mastery, Edgar Wright has cemented his place as one of the stand-out film-makers of his generation. At the heart of the film is the hopeful, longing connection between Baby and Deborah, two people looking for an escape from the lives they’re trapped in. A love letter to the excitement of unadulterated cinema, Baby Driver is a shining gem which will likely be remembered and loved for years to come.

Final Rating: 5 out of 5