Baby Driver

Yesterday I saw Baby Driver.  When I first saw the trailer I thought the film looked ridiculously dumb. But then some new trailers were released, showcasing some other actors in the film. And then it had excellent reviews. And I was swayed into seeing it.

Baby is a get-away driver for heists put together by a man whose car he tried stealing one time. Due to an accident when he was a kid, he listens to music all the time to drown out the ringing in his ears. This leads to some funny scenes between him and the other people involved in the heists. It also leads to some fun moments during the heists, when Baby wants the music to key up with the action.

The performances are all a lot of fun in this movie; Kevin Spacey is clearly having a blast. Ansel Elgort, as Baby, might have been the weakest link. He has the least to work with, though, as he has to convey his sentiments through song and scant dialogue. However, his scenes with Lily James capture perfectly the beginning stages of interest in someone, the banter and flirtation.

I did get slightly annoyed at the reappearance of characters who clearly should have died or been seriously injured to the point of not walking. This is something that happens in a lot of movies, not just this one, so it's not a gripe specific to this movie. It seems to be used when a write/director has written the story into a corner and needs an out.

I liked that the film was original - it's not a sequel, or a remake of a television show, or a cog in a superhero franchise. It takes place in Atlanta! It's kind of quirky. It features a lead who barely talks (but rocks at sign language!). Even with all that, it didn't completely come together for me. I didn't love it, but I far from disliked it either; it's a fun experience and I'd recommend it to most people.