BABY DRIVER REVIEW…

Culturedemandsgeeks loves cool, culture, especially watching the madness of genre on the silver screen. And Baby Driver is quickly being labelled one of the coolest films of the year so far, and deservedly so. Stylish, smart and original, director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) in his first American-based film has pulled off a musical crime-comedy, with a touch of romance. It’s not an everyday recipe, but Wright’s made it look easy.

Ansel Elgort is Baby, a young, parentless and extremely talented getaway driver whose teenage years have landed him in debt to crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey). Doc plans bank robberies and uses psychos, most notably slick Buddy (John Hamm), his hot girlfriend, Darling (Eiza Gonzalez), and the unpredictable and unhinged Bats (Jamie Foxx) to carry them out. It’s Baby’s job to outrun the cops and complete the heists – a job he does to carefully selected songs.

With dark glasses (cue, very funny moment when he continuously pops on multiply glasses) and ever-present earbuds, Baby comes across as a smug millennial but a car accident, in which his parents died, has also left him with tinnitus, and the music drowns out the constant noise in his ears.

Baby spends his days looking after his deaf foster father also makes Baby more endearing than our first impression, and it’s this caring side which diner waitress Deborah (Lily James) falls for.

With his debt to Doc almost paid and his dream girl keen to drive into the distance with him, Baby’s on the countdown to his final job – if Doc lets him go.

Dialogue is sharp, a la Tarantino, and while each character plays to a cliche they’re given just enough backstory and depth to feel fresh.

Young Ansel Elgort’s superb performance. Standing behind the wayfarers and the apple ear buds, the actor really exudes a Steve McQueen sort of charm. Part of that effortless swagger comes from the character designed by Wright, but full marks to Elgort for playing Baby with gusto. Jamie Foxx’s batshit crazy Bats is the burst of NOS in Baby Driver’s engine. John Hamm and Kevin Spacey play the cool antagonists with ease.

Then there’s the music. The heart of the film, it’s the soundtrack to Baby’s life and how he sees the world and other characters. His collection is discerning and unpredictable, with tracks from Queen, Young MC, Simon & Garfunkel and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, to name a few. He even makes his own rather hilarious tracks.

Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver is possibly the heist, action film that modern pop culture IS waiting for, and, those who watch this music-fuelled adrenaline rush of a film, will agree that it’s one helluva ride. The one thing that makes this film CLICK is Edgar Wright’s treatment. Like all his comedies, he’s put in a great deal of LOVE to Baby Driver. Even the young romance works with a level of freshness.

Baby Driver is a mix of, Taxi (original French film) Fast and the Furious, Reservoir Dogs. It’s funny, exhilarating and entertaining, and definitely worth the ride. Go treat yourselves and your grandmothers to a night out at the movies. Go. Go now!