The story of the new film Baby Driver is as silly as its title but despite the been-there-done-that attitude of the plot mechanics, the film manages to be a hugely entertaining ride.
It’s a heist picture that doesn’t bother with the heist part and instead focuses on slick visuals and a fast-paced presentation. Sometimes reheating a familiar story is lazy but in the case of Baby Driver, a shiny and unique delivery is more than enough to make a simple story seem fresh and relevant again.
A lot of the credit for Baby Driver’s entertainment value goes to writer-director Edgar Wright, who is no stranger to cult entertainment. His unique takes on zombies (Shaun of the Dead), buddy cop films (Hot Fuzz), geek culture (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and science-fiction (The World’s End) have cemented his status as a film fan favorite. Baby Driver threatens to launch his cinematic profile to mainstream audiences and while this may not be his best film to date, it’s also far from his worst.
The movie is at its heart a chase film so it’s more than appropriate that it opens with an actual car chase. Several robbers have just entered a getaway car and the wheelman is a kid young enough to be mistaken for a high school senior. But as we quickly learn, this is no ordinary driver since an action film must establish our hero with a very particular set of skills.
He’s named Baby (Ansel Elgort) and is a complete savant when it comes to two things, music and cars. In fact, he is happiest when he marries the two by synchronizing the robbers’ getaway route to the perfect beats and hums of his iPod deck. If his destination is four minutes and thirty two seconds away, he’s got a song to perfectly drown out exterior noise and put him in the zone.
On paper it’s a silly storytelling device but Wright doubles-down and elevates it by taking things a step further. There are always tires screeching and guns going off in these kinds of movies, right? So why not harmonize these familiar sounds with the beat of the music playing? That’s exactly what Wright does and while it may read as a silly gesture in this review it plays beautifully on screen.
When Baby Driver slows down from the car chases and boisterous soundtrack we learn a few things that are basic story structure and bring the film down a peg. First off, Baby’s driving skills are no accident. He’s scarred from a traumatic childhood accident that left him aimless and indebted to criminal boss Doc (Kevin Spacey, in a trademark slimy performance only he can deliver). He’s the kind of mastermind who always has a heist ready to go as long as everything’s organized and never has to work with the same crew consecutively.
The exception to the rule is Baby, his prized getaway driver, but when the kid grows feelings for a young waitress (Lily James) and threatens to leave town, you can pretty much guarantee that the elder will threaten and coerce the junior to do one last score to kick off the film’s climax. Doc’s crew of thieves are filled with mostly psychos, liars and cheats and they’re played in the film by typical nice guys Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm and Jon Bernthal. They’re background players but each get their moment to shine and have fun.
Baby Driver is a mainstream step for Edgar Wright as a filmmaker and his talent behind the camera keeps growing and growing. It’s hard to top yourself with each new film but somehow Wright has done it again with certain set pieces. He’s an unabashed fan of action films and has made it clear that all the driving stunts had to be completely practical. That choreography and attention to detail shows in the final product, making Baby Driver stand out as populist entertainment that deserves to find an audience this summer.
Rating: B+
Baby Driver opens in theaters nationwide June 28.