Baby Driver

​ Prepare yourself.  I am about to be the next in a long line of people who have been singing the praises of Baby Driver.  I originally saw the trailer and thought it was going to be enjoyable, once I heard the reviews were really good I knew I wasn't wrong.  The movie was written and directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim, et al).  If you've loved his previous movies then you won't be disappointed with this one.


The film centers around "Baby", a teenage getaway driver whose life is set to his own personal soundtrack.  We find out that as a child, he was stealing cars and stole the vehicle of Doc, a man who coordinates robberies and other various other criminal activities.  Rounding out the cast are John Hamm, Jamie Foxx, Eiza Gonzalez, Jon Bernthal, and Lily James. 


Baby is a reluctant criminal but he is paying off his debt to Doc.  While doing so, he meets and begins to fall for Debora, a waitress in the diner that Baby frequents. Despite the seriousness of his "job", when Baby goes home he behaves like a normal teenager in love.  He dances and sings and behaves so charmingly that you forget the roughness of his life for the brief moments that he does. 


There are a ton of single camera motion shots in this film and it feels like you're strolling (or running) along with Baby. The lyrics of the music he's listening to show up in the graffiti on the wall behind him.   The scenes in which Baby is driving are choreographed beautifully and in a way that makes you wonder how that got that in a single shot.


My only real criticism of the movie is one that I had to have pointed out by a friend.  I didn't realize it was bothering me until they said something.  If they had kept Jon Bernthal throughout the movie instead of introducing Jamie Foxx, it would have been that much better.  Foxx did well in the role his was given, but the two roles could have merged into one and been just as impactful.  I'd even argue that you could have reversed the roles and let Foxx play out at the beginning.  This all being said, the real star of the supporting cast was John Hamm.  His transition in the film was stellar and I really hope to see him be able to get more roles like this one so that he can dive deeper into darker and heavier subject matter.


Overall I'd recommend this movie to anyone who likes Edgar Wright movies, movies about capers, movies with fantastic car chases, or music, or love.  Honestly, it's such a well-rounded movie I'd recommend it to everyone regardless of favorite genre.

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