With the oversaturation of the film industry with effortless, uncreative properties that only stay in the spotlight due to namesake (cough cough, Marvel, DC, Disney, Dreamworks), movies made with love from start to finish are becoming very scarce.
That is until the brilliant directors that show unrelenting care for their craft work their magic. Every time I hear that directors like Christopher Nolan, James Gunn, Wes Anderson or David Fincher are releasing a new project, I know that we’re in good hands.
Another director on that list is the ingenious mind behind films like “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” and “Shaun of the Dead:”Edgar Wright.
Wright makes some of the most enjoyable movies to ever grace the big screen, and the one highlighted this week is his 2017 film, “Baby Driver,” which is currently ranked fifth in Netflix’s top movies.
Set in Atlanta, “Baby Driver” is a very upbeat depiction of the life of a getaway driver and follows main character ‘Baby’ in his struggle to balance a life of normalcy and crime.
We open with a car coming to a stop outside of a bank, wasting no time getting to the action. With no dialogue in the first section, we’re introduced to the main crew and of course, Baby.
Every action is synced with the opening music; the closing of the car doors, opening of the trunk, etc. It almost seems like a musical, but I don’t know of anything on Broadway that robs a bank in the opening act.
The gang is locked and loaded; we’re ready to empty the vault and hit a huge payday and . . . The camera cuts back to Baby in the driver’s seat. This is HIS movie. The audience is seeing this through his eyes and feeling the music with as much energy as him.
When the crew wraps up, we get the first insanely shot car chase sequence that even the most imaginative child couldn’t conjure up.
When they return to the safe house, we learn a little more about Baby’s backstory.
Baby lost both of his parents when he was younger in a car crash he witnessed from the backseat. He managed to survive the crash but has suffered with tinnitus for years.
In order to combat the nonstop ringing in his ears, Baby blares music through his product-placed iPod and matching Apple earbuds. This plot point sets up an incredible dynamic between the soundtrack and events of the movie, having them work as one coherent effort.
Baby is also in debt to Doc, an Atlanta mobster that had his car stolen by Baby years prior. When he finally does make up the difference and straightens up his act by delivering pizzas, Baby keeps getting roped back in by Doc for jobs with higher risks than last.
This is by far the most fun you will ever have watching a movie. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, it has some amazing action with a star-studded cast and gives a masterclass in cinematography. Do yourself a favor and give “Baby Driver” a watch.
Overall: 10/10
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