Baby (Ansel Elgort) is the best getaway driver in the business, a real “Mozart in a go-kart”. Suffering from permanent tinnitus, the result of a car accident that killed both his parents, he relies on an endless stream of music to drown it out, living his life to the beat of his own personal soundtrack. In debt to criminal mastermind Doc (Kevin Spacey), he serves him as driver for all his nefarious plans. But when he falls for a waitress named Debora (Lily James), Baby finds leaving his life of crime is harder than he expected.
Wright wastes no time in letting you what you are in for with it’s fast paced opening which will have you on the edge of your seat just as you have settled in. The whole movie plays as a musical as the likes of T. Rex, Golden Earring, and Queen fade in and out, with characters moving in time to their infectious beat. Gun shots ring out in time with every drumbeat, tires squeal with every guitar riff. The action moves as fast as Baby drives, and it’s awe-inspiring that Wright was able to keep up with it. Any other director would have got lost in the jumble of spinning tires and streaking headlights, but Wright has planned every set piece with meticulous precision. Everything he wants you to see is up on the screen in crisp, clear detail, making for some of the most exhilarating action sequences you’ve seen all year.
But it’s not all about fast cars and daring heists. The story at Baby Driver’s heart is incredibly sweet and charming, and while it’s a simple 'The Boy finding a way out of his horrible life in the arms of The Girl’ type tale, Wright’s sharp and witty script makes it so much more than that. From the whip smart dialogue to the quieter, character driven moments, it rarely puts a foot wrong. The narrative may slow down in the second act, it’s needed as both a palate cleanser for what came before and getting you ready for the seriously manic final act. The hard turn it takes will hit you out of nowhere, but it feels totally earned and is the perfect crescendo for this intoxicating piece of film making.
The assembled cast is another home run for Wright, with Elgort incredibly likeable and endearing as Baby, making all his little quirks, from a seemingly endless supply of sunglasses to an iPod for every mode, feel natural and organic. James works well against Elgort as the bubbly Debora, their growing relationship never feeling forced, but she does feel underwritten at times. The supporting cast compliment the main pair perfectly. Spacey is having a blast as the menacing Doc, bagging the best lines and clearly relishing every time they leave his lips. He’s challenged in the intensity stakes by Jamie Foxx’s psychotic Bats, and Baby’s criminal crew is rounded out by high class Bonnie and Clyde-alikes Buddy and Darling (Jon Hamm and Eiza González), who become so much more than the comic relief they first appear to be.
Ambitious and utterly original, Baby Driver is a truly dazzling spectacle. You won’t see the likes of this too often (maybe never again), so get to the cinema now!!!!
