Edgar Wright is an auteur, that’s something I can confidently state because he has consistently provided films that are instantly recognizable as HIS work. If you see Shaun of the Dead, you’ll instantly know that it’s by Edgar Wright, the fast-paced cuts and the high-speed pacing of the film, combined with some of the best rock and roll/pop music you’ll ever find. You’re well aware of who directed the film, as soon as you see his signature style at play. That’s exactly the case with Baby Driver, a film that’s less dependent on Edgar Wright’s signature comedy style, but more focused on those techniques he has fully mastered.
How to Download Baby Driver
You can download the film from a digital store. You can also stream it. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like Ansel Elgort, check him out in Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, and West Side Story. For more Lily James appearances, on the other hand, you should watch Cinderella, or Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
The Movie Review
The story follows a young, somewhat confused driver named Baby. You see the thing about Baby is that he drives, and he drives better than anyone else you’re going to see in this film. However, Baby’s completely dependent on music to do his work, and so the film is jam-packed with some of the best music-based set-pieces you’ll ever see.
Things start to go south though when one day Baby and a hodge-podge crew will set out on one of the most dangerous heists of their career, and this is going to be extra hard for Baby who is tired of this life of crime. Moreover, he’s found someone he loves. Is Baby going to make it out of the world of crime?
Edgar Wright writes a tense script, one that’s filled with moments of tension between characters that seem like they might explode at any given moment within the film. Moreover, there’s always the fear that these characters might have ulterior motives of their own, especially the ones played by Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, and Eiza Gonzalez. The dialogue is written with an extreme edge to it, each of the characters is filled with personality but what keeps this film exciting is that they are dangerous, and the screenplay depicts it perfectly.
Moreso than anything, it’s Edgar Wright’s fast-paced direction, coupled with the phenomenal editing work that makes this film breeze past your eyeballs. The quick cuts, the fast and snappy camera movement, the incredible pacing, and the timing of each joke – it all comes together as a beautiful rhythmic pattern that completely immerses you within its universe. The film is edited with such fluid grace, it consistently jumps from shot to shot without ever making you feel dizzy at all, and yet it has a breakneck momentum that never lets up.
The momentum mainly depends on our actors though, as Ensel Elgort takes the lead as Baby and FULLY controls the film from beginning to end. He has pulled a masterful performance here, playing the innocent hero archetype with the added nuance of his PTSD from childhood trauma. Meanwhile, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx bring such an incredible powerhouse of intensity to the film, they’re killers and you can tell from every moment they’re on screen.
Eiza Gonzalez is the show stealer here though, as her role as the femme fatale Darling is one to watch out for.
The Visuals
Another aspect of this film that pushes it far beyond a common blockbuster film is the phenomenal camerawork. The camera work in this film is insanely well done – focus-shifting shots, amazing tracking shots that follow Ensel Elgort’s Baby throughout several streets while music is playing, and some incredibly well-done action choreography. Baby’s got some moves, and the film highlights them phenomenally. Moreover, the execution of the film is then combined with some of the best music in rock and roll/pop history, which makes it even better than you could imagine.
Verdict
Baby Driver might just be Edgar Wright’s magnum opus, a film that mashes his formula of direction, well-choreographed action, Wright’s auteur visionary stylistic choices, and his incredibly amazing sense of humor. The film is a roller coaster thrill ride from the very moment that it starts, and it never lets up until the very end. This is one for the history books and an instant modern classic.
