BABY DRIVER

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

THE JUNGLE BOOK

Neel Sethi and voices of:  Bill Murray   Ben Kingsley   Idris Elba   Lupita Nyong’o  

Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken   Giancarlo Esposito

                  

“Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky;

And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.

As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back --

For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

                                                          The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

          This is a beautiful production for children that adults will enjoy just as much.  The Jungle Book is based on Rudyard Kipling’s book of the same title (screenplay by Justin Marks.)  It is truly a work of art in its portrayal of sound principles and its visual manifestation in production design (Christopher Glass, Abhijeet Mazumder) and cinematography (Bill Pope); in music (John Debney); and in the phenomenal acting by young Neel Sethi as Mogli supported by a stunning cast of voices.  After starting out as an actor, Jon Favreau seems to have come into his own in directing (previous features include Chef, Cowboys and Aliens, and two Iron Man films), as here he is spot-on.

          There have been numerous productions through the years of the Kipling Jungle Book stories (including other Disney films and books), but this is probably the most successful by virtue of the talented filmmakers and new technology.  Mowgli sprinting through the jungle on his bare feet, shimmying up tall trees, and hanging precariously from brittle limbs and sheer cliffs should impress everyone.

       One of the most important contributions of the film is the crux of the story, which demonstrates over and over again the necessity for cooperation among all living things.  Humans are shown to be destructive in our many uses of fire, but we’re at the top of the chain in our creativity and resourcefulness.  Nevertheless, when we ignore the essentialness and value of the other components of our universe (e.g., animals, plants, air, water), we risk our own destruction.  Mowgli serves as a model for us to follow; he makes friends everywhere he goes (except for one glaring example who refused to cooperate), primarily through his contributions to others and the common good and promoting cooperation in general. 

        There is one feature about Jungle Book that warrants explanation.  Part of Mowgli’s success with others is his use of tools to help him solve problems.  While this shows human creativity that separates us from animals, it’s hard to imagine how Mowgli could have learned these, having been brought up by wolves.

       Some of the conflicts in this film are fierce and bloody, and I wondered if smaller children would get too frightened.  However, I heard no cries from any of the young children in the screening I attended, but parents with children who are sensitive to violence (even in the jungle) may want to wait until they are older to show them this film.

To everyone else, I say, “GO”, for a thrilling, fun, quality time in the theater.

Disney scores a hit with The Jungle Book.

Grade:  A                 By Donna R. Copeland