The ultimate car-tunes

Film Review: Baby Driver

MANILA, Philippines - Edgar Wright’s latest, Baby Driver, is one fun joyride that could very well redefine the car chase/crime action genre in a very musical way. Wright writes and directs and I was looking forward to the film as this is the same director who gave us the Cornetto trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and World’s End) and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, which all skillfully bent genres and added shots of comedy and generous takeaway lines. With Baby Driver, Wright succeeds once again, using the soundtrack and exuberant use of music on two levels — that of the caper, crime drama and that of budding first romance. It’s a surprising blend that works, in much the same manner that Tony Scott gave us True Romance (Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette) back in 1993.

Ansel Elgort (best known for his work in Divergent and The Fault in our Stars) gains “street cred” in the title role, using his real-life DJ skills to excellent use as the crime gang’s driver who immerses himself in music as a way to cope with loss and life. The plot of the film revolves around Baby paying off a debt to crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey), by driving for several permutations of the criminals Doc enlists for his heists. Among this rotating cast of criminals, we find certifiably insane Bats (Jamie Foxx), and the seriously homicidal couple Buddy (Jon Hamm) and Darling (Eiza Gonzalez). Debora (Lily James) is the diner waitress Baby encounters and falls for, finding in her a music-loving kindred spirit.

Actors must love working on a Wright project as beyond the impeccable casting, the roles are all meaty and memorable. Elgort and James are pitch-perfect as the musical star-crossed couple, and Foxx practically steals the film with his quippy lines. As for Spacey, he gets the role with the widest arc and plays it for all it’s worth. Hamm and Gonzalez are a hoot as a pair as ready to paw each other constantly, as they are ready to steal and kill! And look out for cameos by the likes of singer Paul Williams, Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea and a voice cameo (in the court scene) from director Walter Hill — the story here being Hill’s 1978 The Driver, was an inspiration to Wright as he conceived this film.

This is the kind of movie you watch with friends the first time, and you come back for a more analytical “How did he do that” appreciation. First, marvel at the car stunts and how the music is not only integrated, but suffused, in these and other less frenetic scenes. It’s a constant, so that even the relationship between Baby and Debora is marked by songs and song titles. And by going all out old-fashioned teen romance, the movie holds our attention, charms and beguiles, even when cars aren’t crashing or bullets are flying. There’s a palpable exuberance and love for what he’s doing — filmmaking — that makes this such a must-watch. It’s by no means a great or lofty film; but the smile on your face as you leave the cinema will linger.