Baby Driver

Baby Driver

Baby, a young man who remixes his life, puts down conversations on an old cassette recorder and then mixes them into songs using some very old-fashioned keyboard and rhythm equipment. The first one we see him make is “Was He Slow,” which takes a question about Baby’s mental capacity as a hook.

Edgar Wright remixes the movies and tunes that have influenced him into “Baby Driver,” which is wildly joyful and flat-out fantastic. With CGI robots clanging against each other and superheroes leaping through the sky, here’s Wright wondering if you remember when movies used to thrill us with a turn of phrase, the squeal of wheel, a diving plot twist or a romantic kiss. This just in: “Baby Driver” was designed to be seen in theaters with loud sound systems.

Yes, his name is “B-A-B-Y, Baby” (Ansel Elgort). At least that’s what he tells people who ask him questions no one ever asks. He is the mostly silent getaway driver for Doc (Kevin Spacey), who runs the crime syndicate; he robs the banks; he hires three criminals; he puts them in Baby’s car. You see, Baby can drive. But it requires music to do it.

After a car accident as a kid left him with tinnitus, he spends nearly every waking hour with ear buds in his ears to drown out the ringing. And everything around him moves to the music on one of his many iPods different ones for different moods although sometimes it seems like his choice has influenced what happens next and sometimes it feels like what happens next has informed his choice either way works.

Case in point: Three criminals Buddy (Jon Hamm), Darling (Eiza Gonzalez) and Griff (Jon Bernthal) jump out of their car outside a bank just as Baby cues up “Bellbottoms” by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion in his ‘buds. From this point forward, everything moves to the music, from the slamming of car doors after the bank robbers return to one of the best car chase scenes in years that ends in squealing tires.

We have seen many action scenes set to pop or rock songs, but how many have you seen in which the action beats coincide with the music? And Wright takes this genius idea a step further, making even everyday normal activity feel like it’s part of Baby’s soundtrack. The sound of someone typing a text message on a phone or placing stacks of money on a table will be timed with the beat of a song, creating a film that has a rhythm and flow and structure from first frame to last that is designed as part and parcel with its soundtrack. It’s breathtaking you want to see it again immediately after it’s over just so you can watch where Wright plants each beat while knowing when they’re coming.

The last paragraph makes “Baby Driver” sound like a music video. It’s probably pushed out potential viewers looking for more substance than style. Trust me when I say Wright doesn’t skimp on the former. There’s enough story and action here to satisfy without the music that drives the filmmaking. Most of the joy of this film is watching it unfold so I’ll be brief with plot.

Baby had a short-lived career in crime, and he made the mistake of robbing from Doc, who now forces him to drive as penance. He’s almost done. He has one more job for Doc and then he’ll be back to his normal life. Of course, we all know how that usually ends in crime movies. And when Baby meets a charming waitress named Debora (Lily James), he finds reason to go straight. That’s all you need to know.

At its core, “Baby Driver” is reminiscent of decades of movies that were centered around criminals and the art of the car chase. There’s a remarkably old-fashioned sensibility to the way Wright structures and details his film, and it’s not just because his two genetically blessed stars look like they could have walked out of a 1940s noir (their All American aesthetic is even more striking in a few gorgeous black and white shots that recall old Hollywood even more). “Baby Driver” is a high-concept film that never underwhelms detail, and it’s those delightful little beats within the overall tune that hold it together.

Few people know how to assemble a cast like Edgar Wright does which helps greatly because Elgort and James are engaging, charismatic leads with fantastic chemistry like most Hollywood action movies where survival heroes become something we actively root for instead of just knowing will likely happen here does not occur but rather becomes something we actively root for instead of just know is likely to happen unlike most Hollywood action movies where survival heroes become something we actively root for instead of just know is likely to happen.

The “villains” of the piece are perfectly cast and directed as well, particularly Spacey and Jamie Foxx as the menacing Bats. Both roles are written and cast in a way they could have stolen focus with performances that play to the cheap seats but neither actor ever does. Foxx is particularly phenomenal in a role that’s both funny and filled with simmering danger.

It’s one of those films where every single role, from the burly diner chef to the sweet post office employee, feels like it was cast with exactly the right person. It creates a sense of additional magic in a film when you can tell that every single element, even the most minor ones, is working exactly as its creator intended.

There’s an energy that you can feel in the theater when a movie is really working. It’s the guy next to you jumping a bit in his seat as a car takes a hard corner. It’s the woman behind you laughing extra hard at a joke. It’s everyone being fully engaged, almost tapping their feet to rhythm of film. I still believe this is why most people go to movies with crowds of strangers to feel that shared magic and nod their heads in unison to cinematic tune. “Baby Driver” will be one your favorite songs of year. Listen to it with crowd.

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