Baby Driver

            Edgar Wright is considered by many as one of the best directors working today. Hell, I’d consider him among the top 5. You can definitely get a vibe of his importance from watching films like “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” or any of the installments of “The Cornetto Trilogy.” He’s one of those filmmakers that defines the word “perfectionist,” because everything about his films is finely tuned to the last detail, that you’ll have to watch it several times before you can find everything. When Marvel Studios kicked him off of “Ant-Man,” a film he’s been wanting to do for years, it made me upset that they would cast someone of that stature aside, in favor of making an incredible mediocre film filled with references. So, after now waiting an extra two years, I finally get my overdue Edgar Wright fix, thanks to his newest film, “Baby Driver.”

            “Baby Driver” tells the story of Baby (yes, that’s his name), a getaway driver who suffers from tinnitus, after surviving a car crash. When he meets a cute waitress that he falls in love with, he decides that once he’s paid off his debts, he’s going to leave town and live a normal life with her, but his boss has other plans.

This was a heavily praised film when it premiered at SXSW, and it’s no wonder. Much like you would expect from Edgar Wright, “Baby Driver” is a slick, fast paced, and neatly detailed film that is action-packed and always has several details you may have missed the first time watching.

The cast all manage to really shine here, and they really play some memorable characters here. Ansel Elgort as Baby really sells the role, and boy did he impress me as an action star. Sure, he got to show some action work with “The Divergent Series,” but this is where I believe he truly got to shine, as well as show off his comedic chops. Scenes where he’s just relaxing and jamming out to his tunes, or pausing a moment to get into the right mind set and timing, you really buy into it as a necessity to control himself and remain in focus. I especially love the scenes when he’s interacting with Lily James, who plays his girlfriend, and C.J. Jones, who plays his foster father, as their chemistry together really makes it feel quirky but natural. After “Carrie,” Elgort has really shown himself to be a fantastic actor, and to see him work with a guy like Edgar Wright, feels all the more satisfying.

Kevin Spacey as Baby’s boss, Doc, also delivers a powerful performance. Sure, he’s no stranger to playing a calculating villain who’s always watching, but that doesn’t take away presence he has on a scene. And with it being Edgar Wright, he also delivers the dialogue with such a straightforward tone that it makes it all the more hilarious. Jon Hamm and Eiza Gonzalez play a married couple who work with Doc and Baby, and both manage to pull off a combination of sexy and deadly in their performance. Hamm especially by the end, gets pretty deadly, but I dare not spoil it. Also, it was just nice to see Eiza Gonzalez in a good movie after the disaster that was “Jem and the Holograms.” However, the one that really stole the show was Jamie Foxx, who plays a very impulsive and trigger happy character. This guy’s performance just spells deadly from when he appears on screen, to a point where it rivals Hamm’s. After seeing this, if I’m expecting anybody to get an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor, Foxx and Ham would be heavy contenders. The only actor I was disappointed with was Jon Bernthal; he’s not bad, far from it, but he doesn’t really stay long in the film, and I was kind of hoping for more of him.

If there’s one thing that’s consistently noticed throughout Edgar Wright’s filmography, it’s that he always puts action to the beat of the soundtrack. From action scenes, to heist planning, to even walks for coffee, every beat is performed, edited, and noticed to a tee. And with this being a getaway driver movie, the chase scenes are really a strong highlight, especially in the ending when it gets crazier and crazier. Considering it has Bill Pope and Paul Machliss, the cinematographer and editor from “Scott Pilgrim,” I have to admit that they’ve improved in the last seven years.

Overall, go see “Baby Driver” when it comes to theaters. The characters and performances are great, the dialogue is hilarious and meaningful, and the action scenes are slick and clean to watch. It’s so far my favorite movie of the year, and I’m looking forward to seeing again. Edgar Wright has delivered yet another fantastic movie.

Rating: 10/10