When most filmmakers seem content with retreading familiar ground and sticking to tried and tested formulas, it is refreshing to see someone try something a little different.
MOVIE REVIEW
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Eiza Gonzalez, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Bernthal
Director: Edgar Wright
Tagline: All you need is one killer track.
When most filmmakers seem content with retreading familiar ground and sticking to tried and tested formulas, it is refreshing to see someone try something a little different. That’s what British director Edgar Wright has done with Baby Driver, a heist caper that plays out against the backdrop of near-constant music.
Based on an idea that the director came up with over two decades ago, the film follows the tale of a getaway driver, nicknamed Baby (played by Ansel Elgort), who listens to nonstop music in order to mask the ringing in his ears which he has had since being involved in a car accident that killed his parents when he was a child.
Baby works as a getaway driver for a rotating crew of rag-tag bank robbers led by Doc (Kevin Spacey), but hopes to leave behind his dicey past after performing one final heist and paying off the debt he owes to Doc for stealing one of the kingpin’s cars. But his escape from the criminal world is short-lived when he finds himself being threatened by Doc and coerced into returning for another heist.
Things don’t go quite as planned, leaving Baby to figure out how to escape his predicament and protect the people he loves - particularly his girlfriend Debora (Lily James), who is a waitress at a local diner, and his deaf foster father, Joseph (CJ Jones).
Baby Driver’s premise may not be very original, but it’s the offbeat execution and eclectic soundtrack that make the film stand out in the well-worn genre of crime capers. Wright has managed to give an old tale a new spin, and has made the project all the more impressive by coming up with well-executed action sequences coupled with good cinematography.
That said, the film, on the whole, isn’t nearly as exciting as one would hope. All too often, it feels like the filmmakers chose style over substance. The movie doesn’t really manage to transcend your typical action film cliches and stereotypes. Also, the female characters aren’t very well crafted. And Wright’s script can be downright corny - there are times when the dialogues are practically cringe worthy.
As for the cast, Elgort isn’t exactly the best choice for an action film lead and is a tad boring in the titular role. And while the supporting cast is terrific - Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Bernthal play some of the members of the heist crews in the movie - their characters rarely get to do anything memorable in the film.
On the whole, the latest offering by the Cornetto trilogy mastermind is a fast-paced, well-made action flick that doesn’t quite have the depth to dazzle its audience but still impresses with its esthetics and visuals.
Rating: 3 out of 5
- S.A.
