The first scene in Baby Driver is by far the best of them all. A parked car is seen outside of a bank while three robbers step out to execute a bank robbery. The driver waits inside, earbuds on and iPod playing, because the song blaring on his headphones matches the unfolding of the robbery and the escaping of the robbers after the bank is robbed. Every scene that involved a chase and shoot out immediately moves along to the rhythm of the music being played by the driver, Baby (Ansel Elgort) who happens to be one of the characters in the film. It is quite awesome, all the style that only Edgar Wright can bring to the table, which prepares the viewer for the events that follow the stylish action-musical heist.
Edgar Wright’s most recent work is not technically a musical, yet what differentiates it from ‘90s action films( the ‘holy trinity’ of Point break, Reservoir Dogs and Heat as termed by Wright) that inspired it is the reverberating soundscape of the sections of the film. Set and match to the brilliant and busy mind of Ryan Heffington who played a similar role in Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ music video and Netflix’s The OA, every activity in the office involves dancing to a song stored in Baby’s iPod. (It’s worth nothing Wright first tried out this concept when he was the director of Mint Royale’s 2003 “Blue Song” music video.)
Wright makes the smart to choice to ground Baby’s near-constant iPod-listening in reality: Baby listens to music because he has a very particular ailment. But it’s evident from the title and the focus of the film that this one is definitely going to go for the glitzy style of direction and not the grunge approach. And as a result, every successive shot leaves an adrenaline rush, be it any of the number of chase with the fast moving vehicles — baby is a good driver too, or rushing to make coffee for the team.
Wright changed the approach to such an extent that it flashes back the essence of the movie throughout the entire duration, and this adventure aspect of the plot progressively realizes itself in all fronts.
Baby Driver’s narrative revolves around ideals of teamwork while it’s essentially just a simple criminals-and-their-experiences narrative with the heist plot as low-key as possible. He is a talented getaway driver for a mobster named Doc to whom he is indebted. This young promising driver is about to get out of this shady occupation permanently when he meets deborah Lily James a waitress in the spy’s scam she represents the life Baby Ioff will be seeking. Unfortunately for Baby, Doc does have one last job lined up for him, forcing Baby with some of his other go-to criminals Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx and Elza Gonzales who are usually don’t take no for an answer.
It is the world-building that Wright excels that elevates this particular work. An orphaned baby takes care of his terminally ill foster father, whom we previously saw played by funny deaf actor CJ Jones, and this relationship contributes a lot to the plot. Gus Elgort moves through the motion picture with the fluid grace of a ballet dancer that comes with the territories of the dance and musical theater by exuding old school movie star and new age rock star. And the soundtrack itself is likely to develop her own sub-fandom very soon, because, Wright created a very stimulating musical scenery, where everyone from Queen to Blur to Young MC to T. Rex to The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion as well. And the cars? What is more remarkable is the amount of effort that naturally should be invested in this aspect of the picture, which is Wright’s first from 2013’s The World’s End and an adaptation of an idea he has been working, since 1994.
The eccentricities of Baby Driver become apparent in the final act of the movie, as it often happens when the story is interesting, but not as interesting as what is unfolding on the screen. The casting of Ansel Elgort as Baby is spot on, and this is critical in such a choreographed film. Baby’s kinetics are appreciated more than the character itself, and when the ‘violent shootout’ conclusion finally kicks in rather than evoke a sense of satisfaction and joy, it rather fails to elicit the desired emotional response.
Nonetheless, Baby Driver was able to even make the 115 minute long feature interesting enough for the fans of Wright. The fact that it is more than that speaks volumes about the maturity and the growth he has had in the course of years as a film director. He was done with comedics of Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy and wanted to execute a violent action film and, always producing something we have never come across before, earns admiration. (I’m not saying it’s not funny. It is, especially one Michael Myers gag. It is very funny) My primary concern is that Baby Driver begins with the strongest scene, which is its first one; therefore that scene prepares you for the two hour campaign that you are just about to embark on in an entertaining, heart pounding fashion and after that it is just a matter of being taken for a ride.
The Verdict
Wright Edgar film Baby Driver is a cool and stylish heist drama made better by his choice to design the whole film to the thrilling music. Ansel Elgort has all the poise and attitude sufficient for the character of Baby Baby Driver, the action sequences including the music score are simply awesome. Misson impossible is also what sounds to be in good fashion, Wright has made anyway a very interesting new movie that is guaranteed to please the many of his fans.
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