Movie Review: Baby Driver

Baby Driver is quickly being labelled one of the coolest films of the year so far, and deservedly so. Stylish, smart and original, director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) in his first American-based film has pulled off a musical crime-comedy, with a touch of romance. It's not an everyday recipe, but he's made it look easy.

Ansel Elgort is Baby, a young, talented getaway driver whose teenage delinquent years have landed him in debt to crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey). Doc plans bank robberies and uses psychos, most notably slick Buddy (John Hamm), his hot girlfriend, Darling (Eiza Gonzalez), and the unpredictable and unhinged Bats (Jamie Foxx) to carry them out. It's Baby's job to outrun the cops and complete the heists - a job he does to carefully selected songs.

With dark glasses and ever-present earbuds, Baby comes across as a smug millennial but a car accident, in which his parents died, has also left him with tinnitus, and the music drowns out the constant noise in his ears.

That he spends his days looking after his deaf foster father also makes Baby more endearing than our first impression, and it's this caring side which diner waitress Deborah (Lily James) falls for. With his debt to Doc almost paid and his dream girl keen to drive into the distance with him, Baby's on the countdown to his final job - if Doc lets him go.

It may sound like a typical heist film, but it's not. The car chase scenes and stunts are thrilling - mostly because they're real rather than computer generated. Dialogue is sharp and sassy, a la Tarantino, and while each character plays to a cliche they're given just enough backstory and depth to feel fresh.

Then there's the music. The heart of the film, it's the soundtrack to Baby's life and how he sees the world and other characters. His collection is discerning and unpredictable, with tracks from Queen, Young MC, Simon & Garfunkel and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, to name a few. He even makes his own rather hilarious tracks.

Baby Driver is a mix of La La Land, Fast and the Furious, Reservoir Dogs and The Blues Brothers. It's funny, exhilarating and entertaining, and definitely worth the ride.

Cast: Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Kevin Spacey
Director: Edgar Wright
Rating: R13 (Strong violence and offensive language)
Running time: 112 mins
Verdict: Worth seeing for its soundtrack and car chases alone.

DID YOU KNOW...

In a bid to make his new World War II film

Dunkirk

look as 'real' as possible, director Christopher Nolan used a real-life naval destroyer instead of CGI. He also used cardboard cut outs of soldiers and vehicles in battle scenes.