Baby Driver
After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.
Cast
Ansel Elgort – Baby / Miles
Lily James – Debora
Kevin Spacey – Doc
Jon Hamm – Buddy / Jason
Eiza González – Darling / Monica
Jon Bernthal – Griff
Jamie Foxx – Bats / Leon
Babies Not Included
The title is completely misguiding for starters; the lead character’s name is Baby. End of. And he is a driver. End of.
So the title is basically stating the name of the protagonist, plus his profession.
I’m sure the producers thought they had fully captured the attention of the general public with posters advertising the movie stating the name ‘Baby Driver‘. Not all, but some people might have seen it and thought, “oh, perhaps this is a movie which references a very young person and their involvement with a speeding vehicle”. When in actual fact it’s simply the name of the main man (who isn’t actually that young) and what he does throughout the amovie. For example: Ricky driver.
Yes, sorry to take the fun out of it people but this feature is absolutely nothing to do with a baby – but it is to do with a driver. And his name is Baby.
Glad I could clear that up.
This movie contains a few scenes which consist of high-octane car chases and very fast action. Fans of such a genre won’t be disappointed at all. Baby (Elgort) is quite literally the movie’s driving force as he transports the bad guys from one place to another with police in hot pursuit. This is balanced out nicely with slower scenes involving babies love interest (Colins) or the old man he lives with (CJ Jones), so the level in dynamics spike nicely – and then lower – before spiking again. This insures strong consistency in the flow of the film.
The Good Stuff
Baby Driver has an air of cult surrounding it. Most of the action takes place on urban Atlanta streets; towering metal skyscrapers grounded by rectangular diners pave the way to retro banks on pretty sidewalks. It all sets a good scene, differing nicely to the backdrops of many other films. In some ways it blends vintage with present day which gives it a refreshing feel. Top marks here for scenery / set work.
The movie is darkly comic in parts, its humour leading it along nicely. Sarcasm may be the lowest form of wit but by Christ does it make great watching. Baby Driver oozes blunt, rough adult humour in places which – when delivered by the right actor – adds comic relief to a production which would probably otherwise be a load of boy-racer bullshit. Doc (Spacey) offers one or two lines that are so outright offensive it’s hilarious.
More marks.
The casting isn’t bad at all. They’re not an oscar-winning bunch but they gel nicely and deliver nicely distinctive characters.
Lily James gives a good performance as waitress Debora. The actress suits her character pretty much perfectly, her singing voice good too when warbling in her diner. Shrill, but sweet (yes – another movie where she’s singing).
The Bad Stuff
I seriously don’t think Baby Driver lives up to the hype. There were various advertisments leading up to its release which seemed to portray it as the next best cult feature. And whilst it does have a cult feel about it, it’s not the next best one. This is one of those movies that is quite simply – overrated. Not as amazing as the publicity makes it out to be. Not as thrilling as you’d think. And a bit of a let-down.
Baby Driver? Or adult car-crash?
This one is worth a watch for its fleeting humour and slick – if few – car chases. But other than that, the movie hurtles towards its closing credits faster than Baby himself. This is pushed along by the fact the plot is very minimal, not much to build on. The young man gets in to his vehicle – drives the bad guys around as they turn places over – falls for a female – has to make an important decision.
Don’t be thinking you’re in for a story you can really get involved in, it’s far from it. In fact, Baby Driver is one for the boys as they sit swigging cans of beer on a lads’ night in. It’s just a load of speedy nonsense. Give it a go – but don’t pay to see it.
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