'BABY DRIVER' - REVIEW
Release Date: Wednesday 28th of June (UK Release)
Directed By: Edgar Wright
Written By: Edgar Wright
Produced By: Tim Bevan, Nira Park, Liza Chasin, Rachael Prior and Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, John Hamm, Jamie Foxx, Lily James, Eliza Gonzalez and Kevin Spacey
Distributed By: Tristar Pictures
As any British cinema fan should know, the release of an Edgar wright film is something to be treated with great anticipation and excitement. In this generation of seemingly endless world building, franchise domination and CGI driven blockbusters, Wright has always served as a beacon of hope for cinema goers who strive for something fresher with their visit to the local multiplex. Not having released a film since 2013's 'The World's End', the final chapter in his non linear Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy, Wright proved himself one of the few directors who would not bow to the franchise machine when in 2014, he walked away from Marvel's 'Ant Man', a film he had worked on for almost a decade.
With creative differences being the cause of the departure, (Wright's trademark wit and style usually splashed across his screenplays marks one of his core strengths) he then set about working on a passion project which dated back to his early twenties. A getaway driver with a hearing impairment, a debt to pay and a story crafted around a collection of perfectly chosen tracks. This, was Baby Driver.
The basis for the film can be seen in Wright's earlier work, his music video for the song "Blue Song" by the band Mint Royale. Here however, Noel Fielding's un named driver is replaced by Ansel Elgort's Baby. A young, almost mute getaway driver who has a great talent for sticking pedal to the metal, suffers from tinnitus, a "Hum in the Drum" as a result of an accident as a child. As a means of drowning out the said hum, Baby keeps a constant playlist of varied tracks playing from one of a selection of Ipods, keeping him focused as well as a means of choreographing his day to day activities, which happen to include assisting in bank robberies.
Indebted to heist planner and swift talking criminal Doc (Spacey), who never works with the same crew twice, Baby serves as his 'lucky charm'. The core crew members however consist of Buddy and Darling (Hamm and Gonzalez). Interspersed alongside this crew include the likes of John Bernthal's Griff, Lanny Joon's JD, Flea's Eddie No Nose and last but by no means least, Jamie Foxx's Bats. With one last job to finish before he is straight with Doc, Baby's life makes a handbrake turn with the arrival of waitress Deborah (James), who's equal adoration for music and the dream of the open road stirs something inside of him, a desire to get away from the lifestyle which has consumed him.
Whilst on paper, this may seem a fairly bog standard car chase driven thriller, as with ever Edgar Wright film, there is much more going on which brings the film to atmospheric levels of filmmaking bliss. Put simply, Hot Fuzz's Danny Butterman's longing for "Gunfights, car chases, proper action and shit" is brought to life in a wholly refreshing manor. Minus the shit naturally. With Wright's renowned knack for picking seemingly spot on music to fit the genre, here his particular choices serve to structure the entire narrative, from the opening car chase set to John Spencer Blues Explosion's "Bellbottoms", to Simon and Garfunkel's titular folk ballad, the film doesn't just serve to display cool action set pieces paired with finger snapping tracks, but that the music and visuals entwine beautifully to become a cohesive behemoth of inspired and fantastically original story telling.
With Wright clearly a fan of the cinematic form from his early career with the wonderfully referential sitcom 'Spaced', here the influences consist of the classic heist films, the top one most notably being Walter Hill's 'The Driver (The director himself receiving a brief cameo). Michael Mann's 'Heat' is also a clear point of reference as the third act unfolds in true Wright style with handbrake turns both on the road and in the script alike.
A crucial element of Wright's directing skills is reflecting in his experience of creating Iconic and unique characters. Here yet again he presents a rich palette of glorious performances across the board. Elgort's performance becoming much more of a physical one as the film continues, but some of the strongest scenes come from those shared with his deaf foster father, played by CJ Jones, in which no dialogue is heard yet all emotions are made clear. Just as joyous to watch as in any great thriller are the antagonists, here yet again all performances are first rate with all different crew members bringing their own stamp of individuality, the two standouts however being Jamie Foxx's deranged Bats and John Hamm's sly and slick Buddy. With both heavyweight's clearly relishing the roles, the third act quickens pace to a new level and brings these two characters in particular to the forefront with unexpectedly heart pounding results.
One of the most exciting aspects of this film however, consists of the sheer talent of all technical aspects. Editor's Johnathan Amos and Paul Machliss (Both previous Wright collaborators), break new ground in the linking of image and sound. It isn't only the action set pieces which deliver high octane editing as even its slower paced moments deliver subtlety sure to result in at least a smile of appreciation. Bill Pope as DP also delivers in spades presenting the bustling life of Atlanta with flair and vigour in every frame, perfectly executing Wright's swift style.
The true genius of the film however, lies within Wright's attention to detail. As per usual this film maintains a distinct necessity to be re-watched as in every scene there lies some reference or feat of visual wit, this being most notable in the post opening credits scene in which Baby traverses an Atlanta street on a coffee run to Bob and Earl's "Harlem Shuffle" in a single take in which the street and song coincide in a smooth and seamless steadicam shot with lyrics appearing on the walls, the beeps of cars forming the beat all held together by Elgort's charmingly humble Baby.
As per usual with Wright, there lies an abundance of genre elements within this film, with the obvious action/ thriller tropes expected with a picture focusing on a getaway driver, Wright also flexes his comedic and romantic skills, with usual swift wit and efficiency. A film which serves as a pure shot in the arm for Hollywood as a blockbuster with brains, the only downside of this film is the potential of losing Britain's most exciting and inventive filmmaker. If this is what happens when Marvel are unwilling to accept a director's original vision, one can only hope this occurs more as Wright has unquestionably delivered the best film of 2017 which serves as an ode to 70's cinema with a unique 21st century spin. The breath of fresh air cinema needs right now, Wright is back and better than ever!
As any British cinema fan should know, the release of an Edgar wright film is something to be treated with great anticipation and excitement. In this generation of seemingly endless world building, franchise domination and CGI driven blockbusters, Wright has always served as a beacon of hope for cinema goers who strive for something fresher with their visit to the local multiplex. Not having released a film since 2013's 'The World's End', the final chapter in his non linear Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy, Wright proved himself one of the few directors who would not bow to the franchise machine when in 2014, he walked away from Marvel's 'Ant Man', a film he had worked on for almost a decade.
With creative differences being the cause of the departure, (Wright's trademark wit and style usually splashed across his screenplays marks one of his core strengths) he then set about working on a passion project which dated back to his early twenties. A getaway driver with a hearing impairment, a debt to pay and a story crafted around a collection of perfectly chosen tracks. This, was Baby Driver.The basis for the film can be seen in Wright's earlier work, his music video for the song "Blue Song" by the band Mint Royale. Here however, Noel Fielding's un named driver is replaced by Ansel Elgort's Baby. A young, almost mute getaway driver who has a great talent for sticking pedal to the metal, suffers from tinnitus, a "Hum in the Drum" as a result of an accident as a child. As a means of drowning out the said hum, Baby keeps a constant playlist of varied tracks playing from one of a selection of Ipods, keeping him focused as well as a means of choreographing his day to day activities, which happen to include assisting in bank robberies.
Whilst on paper, this may seem a fairly bog standard car chase driven thriller, as with ever Edgar Wright film, there is much more going on which brings the film to atmospheric levels of filmmaking bliss. Put simply, Hot Fuzz's Danny Butterman's longing for "Gunfights, car chases, proper action and shit" is brought to life in a wholly refreshing manor. Minus the shit naturally. With Wright's renowned knack for picking seemingly spot on music to fit the genre, here his particular choices serve to structure the entire narrative, from the opening car chase set to John Spencer Blues Explosion's "Bellbottoms", to Simon and Garfunkel's titular folk ballad, the film doesn't just serve to display cool action set pieces paired with finger snapping tracks, but that the music and visuals entwine beautifully to become a cohesive behemoth of inspired and fantastically original story telling.
With Wright clearly a fan of the cinematic form from his early career with the wonderfully referential sitcom 'Spaced', here the influences consist of the classic heist films, the top one most notably being Walter Hill's 'The Driver (The director himself receiving a brief cameo). Michael Mann's 'Heat' is also a clear point of reference as the third act unfolds in true Wright style with handbrake turns both on the road and in the script alike. A crucial element of Wright's directing skills is reflecting in his experience of creating Iconic and unique characters. Here yet again he presents a rich palette of glorious performances across the board. Elgort's performance becoming much more of a physical one as the film continues, but some of the strongest scenes come from those shared with his deaf foster father, played by CJ Jones, in which no dialogue is heard yet all emotions are made clear. Just as joyous to watch as in any great thriller are the antagonists, here yet again all performances are first rate with all different crew members bringing their own stamp of individuality, the two standouts however being Jamie Foxx's deranged Bats and John Hamm's sly and slick Buddy. With both heavyweight's clearly relishing the roles, the third act quickens pace to a new level and brings these two characters in particular to the forefront with unexpectedly heart pounding results.
The true genius of the film however, lies within Wright's attention to detail. As per usual this film maintains a distinct necessity to be re-watched as in every scene there lies some reference or feat of visual wit, this being most notable in the post opening credits scene in which Baby traverses an Atlanta street on a coffee run to Bob and Earl's "Harlem Shuffle" in a single take in which the street and song coincide in a smooth and seamless steadicam shot with lyrics appearing on the walls, the beeps of cars forming the beat all held together by Elgort's charmingly humble Baby.
"In this business, the moment you catch feelings, is the moment you catch a bullet" - Bats
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