Baby Driver Review

     Certain directors are known for being masters of a specific genre. Scorsese has gangster films, Spielberg has war, Hitchcock has thrillers, and Edgar Wright has action-comedies. Edgar Wright is a British director and writer who first got his start directing various shows back in the 90s, but had his first big break with 2004's "Shaun of the Dead" which is widely considered to be one of the best comedies of the decade, and one of the best zombie movies of all time, it's since become a cult classic. A few years later he released "Hot Fuzz" a ridiculous action-comedy that is lauded as well. And in 2010 he directed "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," based off the comic of the same name; a movie that many would call one of their all time favorites. Wright has separated himself as one of the most talented British film directors in decades, so when I heard that he had another film in the works I was excited. "Baby Driver" first premiered at SXSW a few months back to wide acclaim from critics and audiences, and instantly became one of my most anticipated for the year. From the time I watched the first trailer, I knew "Baby Driver" was going to be something special. And after an agonizing delay, I finally got to watch it; and it's one of the year’s best movies.

     Baby is a young man living in Atlanta, and is a normal guy for the most part. He loves music, takes care of his disable foster father, and works as a getaway driver for a local crime boss. After, years ago, stealing a car from Atlanta kingpin Doc, Baby is forced to work for him for years to pay off a huge debt he owes him. Despite dreading the idea Baby agrees for fear of his own life and those near him, fortunately for him he's very good behind the wheel of a car and becomes a getaway driver. With only a few jobs left, Baby's almost out; but in the mean time he meets a beautiful young woman named Debora. They begin seeing each other and quickly fall in love; but just when Baby though he was almost out, things get a bit crazy.

     Being a big fan of Edgar Wright, I've been looking forward to this movie for the past few months. Knowing that Wright is an astonishingly talented director, and this is the type of movie he excels at, I had high expectations when walking into the theater; and to my surprise, it's even better than I expected it to be. All the credit in the world has to go to Wright for his exceptional direction, and the well written screenplay filled with clever dialog. He finds a good balance of hilarious jokes, sincere and surprise emotion, and very serious situations. The characters he wrote are memorable, layered, and unique. Each one feels like they could star in their own movie; Wright put more into the minor characters than most writers put in their lead. I really liked the love story as well; often with movies like this, the romance feels tacked on and unnecessary. But in "Baby Driver" it's believable and likable; you really root for the young couple to succeed. It sure does help though that every actor in this movie does a great job, and truly encompass their character. Wright's direction is really shines during the action sequences. There are only a few, but they are awesome. Whether it be the insane car chases or the fast and frantic shoot-outs, this movie has its fair share of thrills. The cinematography is well done as well. Featuring just about every camera trick in the book, the best way I've seen someone describe the cinematography is fluid. You always have eyes on the prize. This movie also does something rather difficult to do, it is always entertaining. At no point during this movie was I disinterested; while I do think the film was maybe 10-15 minutes to long, it never lost me. "Baby Driver" is the perfect mix of style and substance, and is an example of Edgar Wright at his best. Whether it be the action, the comedy, or even the killer soundtrack, there's something for everybody. It's not just one of the best movies of the year; it's one off my favorites.

Pros: Great performances from the entire cast, exceptional direction from Edgar Wright, awesome action sequences, well written screenplay with clever dialog, very funny but surprisingly emotional, memorable characters, killer soundtrack, great cinematography, always entertaining, believable/likable romance, perfect mix of style and substance.

Cons: 10-15 minutes too long.

5/5 Stars