After falling into debt with a crime boss, Baby (Ansel Elgort), must pay back what he owes by being the getaway driver for brazen daytime heists. The crime boss, Doc (Kevin Spacey), promises Baby that once the next job is done he will be debt free. Baby does the job and heads home feeling finally free and ready to start doing good things with his life. He meets a beautiful waitress, Debora (Lily James), and plans to drive across the country with her. It may be too good to be true. He soon learns that being debt free may not mean that he gets to walk away from the life of crime. Being an exceptional driver has made him indispensable to Doc. Now Baby has a choice between walking away, which Doc has promised to hurt him and those he cares about if he does, or do one more job, and hope he find a way out of the criminal world and onto the road with Debora.
Writer/Director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) does a masterful job of drawing the audience into the story with the soundtrack in a really fun and original way. From the chase scenes to the mundane task of getting coffee, the music immerses the viewer into Baby’s world. The film starts out with an exciting car chase sequence and keeps moving all the way to the end. All of the chase/driving scenes are really well done, which was expected for a movie with driver in the name, but impressive none the less. The pace of the film was consistent and it flowed all the way to the end. Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, John Hamm, Eliza Gonzalez and the rest of the supporting cast did really well and all brought interesting characters to the film.
I loved the originality of the story and how it was executed. This is definitely a soundtrack I will have to listen to again. There were couple loose ends with some of the characters that didn’t get tied up but that was minimal. It is a fun ride and has a little bit of something for everyone. There is a love story, action, a compelling story, and a mixed in comedy that lightens the mood.
4 out of 5
Second review by Don Guillory
The word “masterpiece” gets thrown around to describe art, music, books, and films, even when the work does not deserve the moniker. With Baby Driver, I can confidently state that this label fits. The film is a testament to bank heists, music, love stories, and escape.
The film features Ansel Elgort (Divergent series) as Baby, a getaway driver whose skills behind the wheel are only matched by his taste of and appreciation of music. Baby is tasked with working for a local crime boss who seeks a bigger score each time he sends a team out on a job. Baby desperately wants to leave the life, but is forced to stay in order to keep those around him safe.
The film itself plays out like an epic music video or even a jukebox film that allows the songs to tell the story that is being witnessed onscreen. The images and choreography of the car chases and interactions of the characters is mesmerizing and will have audiences not only nodding their heads and tapping their feet but being drawn into the story even more deeply. Baby Driver hits the mark in several ways that cannot be fully described, however, they can be fully appreciated by those whose eyes stay focused on the screen.
There are few, if any rough patches that detract from the ride that viewers are placed on. With an all-star cast (Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm) and tracks that shape the emotions of those in the seats, Baby Driver has the ability to cement itself as an icon among heist movies. The interactions between the characters feels real. Every move on screen looks natural. This film sets the bar high and truly earns the title “masterpiece.”
4.5/5
