Film Review: "Baby Driver"
Film: Baby Driver (2017)
Director: Edgar Wright
Studio: Sony Pictures Releasing
LB Rating: 4/5 (old rating: 9/10)
Baby Driver is a paramount example of perfectly executing fairly common ideas which consequently transforms a supposedly cliche flick into a unique masterpiece. Baby Driver tells the story of Baby (Elgort), an unwilling but highly skilled getaway driver for criminal mastermind Doc (Spacey). As Baby nears the end of his contract with Doc, he meets Deborah (James) who becomes his motivation to finally leave the criminal life. The film presents how Baby gets into the realization that despite how fast he is as a driver, he can't easily outrun the criminal life he is desperately trying to leave behind. Now while this "final heist" plot structure isn't exactly one-of-a-kind, Edgar Wright's execution makes it one of the best action films of the decade.
What's so different with Baby Driver? Let us examine how Baby Driver stands out point per point:
Music - Wright tweaked the usage of music, a film element usually taken for granted in contemporary films. As a brief context, films that uses music with distinct personality, e.g. Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Pirates of the Caribbean are pretty uncommon for mainstream films of today. What I mean by "distinct personality" is when I hear the booming dandandan dan-danan dan-danan (that's my crude singing of the Imperial March) anywhere, I would instantly think of Star Wars. Now I can't seem to remember the music even from the biggest blockbusters of today, save for the seven-note-tune from The Avengers, "Come And Get Your Love" from Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Star Wars theme from the recent installments of the franchise. I don't remember the music from Batman V. Superman, Iron Man, Thor, and etc. Their music feels so unsaturated and predictable.
In contrast, the music of Baby Driver is so memorable. Such is the case because of how music was used in the film. In Baby Driver, the music is not the backdrop of the scenes but the lead. The plot is not about music but the movie revolves on its musical soundtrack on many different levels. On one level, Baby is heavily reliant on his music to cope with his tinnitus; therefore he is always listening to music through his iPod. On a level deeper, the film does not only present the world through Baby's eyes but also through his ears. This means that the background music of each scene is the song Baby is listening to at that point. The music is being played in context of the scene. On another level, the scenes literally follow the rhythm of the music like a music video. The movement of the characters, i.e. the walking, the glances, the turns of the steering wheel, the gunshots, etc., are timed perfectly with the tunes and beats of the song currently playing. Last but quite the least, the shallowest level is how the music provides a badass accompaniment of the badassery in the scenes. All these illustrate how the music in Baby Driver takes on an active role in the film.
The active role of music in Baby Driver results in a different kind of entertainment from the film. It was fun watching a theater-esque action movie. I really liked the Tequila scene where each gunshot is synced with the tune of Tequila. The foot chase scene was also so damn good, with Baby walking or pausing when the music is slow and running like crazy when the music speeds up. Among the awesome scenes of the movie though, I loved the introduction scene the best. Sitting on a car doing nothing but listening to music ceased to be boring after watching the intro scene. The perfect sync between the speeding car and the fast upbeat song "Bellbottoms" by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion band was a mixture of excitement, tension, and awe, but it was overall an absolutely satisfying bliss.
Anyway, I can't go on blabbering about how entertaining each scene is. The point is, I've never enjoyed a film because of its music this much. This unique experience I have had with this film is one the major reasons why I love Baby Driver so much.
Casting - To be honest, when I saw Flea's name in the opening titles sequence, I thought that he would be the best part of the casting. As enjoyable as it is to see my favorite bassist in a film, it turned out to be the least laudable thing regarding the casting. Everybody was on point in this film. Elgort was unbelievably charismatic which made me empathize with him immediately. James was extremely captivating which is weird because beyond Baby Driver, I do not find her as pretty. Foxx kept me on the edge of my seat most of the fucking time because of how great he is in portraying volatility. All in all, I find Baby Driver's casting highly effective with their character portrayals.
Clarity and consistency - Another film-making direction I like about Baby Driver is how it is able to balance clarity and flashiness which is rare for most Western action films. I guess Baby Driver sacrificed a bit of flashiness in its action scenes but at least I actually understand what the hell is going on. In addition, I also give props to how much attention is paid to the film's details, giving a sense of consistency and telling a mini-story on top of the actual plot. For instance, Baby's wardrobe in the film turned from black and white into gray, signifying a change in perspective regarding crime or his criminal actions.
Plot - The story is the least strongest aspect of the film, being a commonplace action crime story. It's pretty basic and non-revolutionary. It isn't really as thought-provoking as Inception, nor as life-changing as Interstellar. Nevertheless, the plot fulfilled the minimum requirements for a proper action flick. However, it's obvious how the music and the cast carried the plot beyond its simplicity.
Overall, I think Baby Driver is the best newly released film I've watched in the past couple of years. I cannot count how much I've rewatched Baby Driver, and I don't think I'll grow tired of rewatching it soon (at least the individual scenes). Once again, Edgar Wright does not disappoint. It is very praiseworthy how his meticulous craft manifests plainly in his films. If Baby Driver is a foreshadow of the upcoming films I am going to see from Wright, then consider me subscribed. If you haven't seen this film for some reason, please go see it; I cannot recommend it enough.
Director: Edgar Wright
Studio: Sony Pictures Releasing
LB Rating: 4/5 (old rating: 9/10)
Baby Driver is a paramount example of perfectly executing fairly common ideas which consequently transforms a supposedly cliche flick into a unique masterpiece. Baby Driver tells the story of Baby (Elgort), an unwilling but highly skilled getaway driver for criminal mastermind Doc (Spacey). As Baby nears the end of his contract with Doc, he meets Deborah (James) who becomes his motivation to finally leave the criminal life. The film presents how Baby gets into the realization that despite how fast he is as a driver, he can't easily outrun the criminal life he is desperately trying to leave behind. Now while this "final heist" plot structure isn't exactly one-of-a-kind, Edgar Wright's execution makes it one of the best action films of the decade.
 |
| If you haven't seen this film, go see it now. Car rides will never be the same. (Image source: Google) |
What's so different with Baby Driver? Let us examine how Baby Driver stands out point per point:
Music - Wright tweaked the usage of music, a film element usually taken for granted in contemporary films. As a brief context, films that uses music with distinct personality, e.g. Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Pirates of the Caribbean are pretty uncommon for mainstream films of today. What I mean by "distinct personality" is when I hear the booming dandandan dan-danan dan-danan (that's my crude singing of the Imperial March) anywhere, I would instantly think of Star Wars. Now I can't seem to remember the music even from the biggest blockbusters of today, save for the seven-note-tune from The Avengers, "Come And Get Your Love" from Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Star Wars theme from the recent installments of the franchise. I don't remember the music from Batman V. Superman, Iron Man, Thor, and etc. Their music feels so unsaturated and predictable.
In contrast, the music of Baby Driver is so memorable. Such is the case because of how music was used in the film. In Baby Driver, the music is not the backdrop of the scenes but the lead. The plot is not about music but the movie revolves on its musical soundtrack on many different levels. On one level, Baby is heavily reliant on his music to cope with his tinnitus; therefore he is always listening to music through his iPod. On a level deeper, the film does not only present the world through Baby's eyes but also through his ears. This means that the background music of each scene is the song Baby is listening to at that point. The music is being played in context of the scene. On another level, the scenes literally follow the rhythm of the music like a music video. The movement of the characters, i.e. the walking, the glances, the turns of the steering wheel, the gunshots, etc., are timed perfectly with the tunes and beats of the song currently playing. Last but quite the least, the shallowest level is how the music provides a badass accompaniment of the badassery in the scenes. All these illustrate how the music in Baby Driver takes on an active role in the film.
The active role of music in Baby Driver results in a different kind of entertainment from the film. It was fun watching a theater-esque action movie. I really liked the Tequila scene where each gunshot is synced with the tune of Tequila. The foot chase scene was also so damn good, with Baby walking or pausing when the music is slow and running like crazy when the music speeds up. Among the awesome scenes of the movie though, I loved the introduction scene the best. Sitting on a car doing nothing but listening to music ceased to be boring after watching the intro scene. The perfect sync between the speeding car and the fast upbeat song "Bellbottoms" by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion band was a mixture of excitement, tension, and awe, but it was overall an absolutely satisfying bliss.
 |
| Baby Driver's introduction scene may be one of the best I've ever seen in a film (Image source: Google) |
Casting - To be honest, when I saw Flea's name in the opening titles sequence, I thought that he would be the best part of the casting. As enjoyable as it is to see my favorite bassist in a film, it turned out to be the least laudable thing regarding the casting. Everybody was on point in this film. Elgort was unbelievably charismatic which made me empathize with him immediately. James was extremely captivating which is weird because beyond Baby Driver, I do not find her as pretty. Foxx kept me on the edge of my seat most of the fucking time because of how great he is in portraying volatility. All in all, I find Baby Driver's casting highly effective with their character portrayals.
Clarity and consistency - Another film-making direction I like about Baby Driver is how it is able to balance clarity and flashiness which is rare for most Western action films. I guess Baby Driver sacrificed a bit of flashiness in its action scenes but at least I actually understand what the hell is going on. In addition, I also give props to how much attention is paid to the film's details, giving a sense of consistency and telling a mini-story on top of the actual plot. For instance, Baby's wardrobe in the film turned from black and white into gray, signifying a change in perspective regarding crime or his criminal actions.
 |
| Did you guys ever notice how the costumes are color-coded? (Image source: Google) |
Overall, I think Baby Driver is the best newly released film I've watched in the past couple of years. I cannot count how much I've rewatched Baby Driver, and I don't think I'll grow tired of rewatching it soon (at least the individual scenes). Once again, Edgar Wright does not disappoint. It is very praiseworthy how his meticulous craft manifests plainly in his films. If Baby Driver is a foreshadow of the upcoming films I am going to see from Wright, then consider me subscribed. If you haven't seen this film for some reason, please go see it; I cannot recommend it enough.
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