Ansel Elgort Kevin Spacey Jon Hamm Jamie Foxx Eiza Gonzalez Lily James
The opening car chase is spectacular—and this
is from someone who hates such things, along with interminable gunfire. But Edgar Wright’s wit and sensibility
make those scenes in this movie entertaining. To see the driver Baby (Elgort) maneuvering through all
kinds of tight spots tailed by dozens of police cars with red lights and sirens
in full blast, and then later see his body “dance” in similar ways preparing a
sandwich in the kitchen at home is truly a work of art.
But the most delightful—and true—aspect of the
film are the characterizations of the most motley crew you’ve ever seen. Baby is beholden to a criminal boss
called Doc (Spacey) who forces him to drive get-away cars to pay off a debt for
a teenage transgression. Baby is
something of a savant (maybe Asperger’s Syndrome) who has an affinity for
driving cars and a phenomenal memory, even while listening to music with ear
buds always attached and on. Oh,
and he likes to record all conversations, which he puts to music in his spare
time. He has a back-story that supports his idiosyncrasies and talents, which
accounts for his personality and tastes.
He has a deaf foster father, Joseph (C. J. Jones), whom he clearly
adores and guides him in ethical behavior. Joseph is successful as a parent, because Baby has
unassailable values and a conscience.
Ahem.
Baby Driver reminds us that
events in our lives are not always under our control, often because of the
good/bad side of things. Doc is
good in one sense and bad in another.
He’s good with a kind of honesty—he honors his promises—but bad in—oh,
let me count the ways. You will
see if you go to this film. Doc’s
criminal flunkies are colorful, really bad, guys. One (Doc never puts the same team together twice) is Bats
(who really is) (Foxx). He cannot
fathom someone like Baby and rudely taunts him, is always quick on the draw,
and challenging of everyone. Buddy
(Hamm) and Darling (Gonzalez) are kissy-face lovers who are only a little more
sane. At least Buddy has some
appreciation for Baby’s music, but that bond is fragile. There are others just as colorful.
Wright’s dialog and the synchronization of
music and action with it is truly impressive in every detail. Jobs are planned and carried out with
precision, while Baby waits in the car, pantomiming comically to his
music. Seldom can a film be so
entertaining, violent, funny, and smartly mapped out, while maintaining
entertainment value and some degree of plausibility and heart. Elgort will likely be put on the map of
fame and glory with his portrayal of this unusual, complex, and lovable
character. He becomes smitten with
a waitress (James), which makes him even more endearing.
Jamie Foxx is another standout, whose character
is meant to drive everyone crazy, but is sharp as a tack. Loyalty is foreign to him, and he tests
limits with one and all as a matter of course. Yet, he is funny as well. These are only some of the many loony tunes Doc recruits for
his jobs.
Music (Steven Price) and cinematography (Bill
Pope) support and enhance the script and are enjoyable in their own right.
One of the very best films of the 2017
South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas.
Grade: A By
Donna R. Copeland
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