What would happen if you took the best scene from “The Italian Job” (obviously the Mini-Cooper escape) and extended it into an entire movie? The end result would be “Baby Driver.” Most heist films focus on a robbery but this film shifts the focus toward the getaway. It also places one of the best-developed characters of 2017 at the heart of the film to create more emotional attachment than your average action film. Ansel Elgort played his part so well that you will forget that he is acting. His southern accent is convincing and he creates a collective calm amidst the chaos of the movie. I was most impressed with how we can see everything that we learn about Baby’s past in the present circumstances of the story. He was perfectly paired with Lily James, who is proving to be a very diverse actress (her accent in this film is quite a contrast to her role in “Darkest Hour”). Their chemistry is dynamic and truly makes us care. He also has amazing chemistry with CJ Jones, whose real-life deafness enhances every scene. He doesn’t even need sign language to express his fear and concern – it is palpable through his extremely emotive eyes. Finally, Jamie Foxx plays his part so well that I hated him by the end. I love this story but have to complain about the script. The only thing that disqualifies this film from a PG-13 rating is its overabundance of f-words. I wish that Hollywood would wake up and see that they could draw in larger audiences if they just eased up on that unnecessary word. Meanwhile, the film finds great success by choosing the realistic ending instead of the idealistic ending. A lot of times, I can give a pass for letting the heroes erase their actions without consequence but in this case, a realistic ending was much more appropriate and still satisfying. I wish that this realism would have extended to the villain, who almost seems immortal with the number of times that he is severely injured but manages to come back to life. While the film does most things right, it is particularly notable for carefully choreographing many of its scene to the rhythm of Baby’s music. It starts with an intense car chase synchronized to “Bellbottoms” by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and never lets up. In the car, around the house, wherever Baby goes there seems to be a musical sync point. This film gets my vote for the Best Sound Mixing Oscar - it is practically the definition of Sound Mixing. “Baby Driver” is all about the music and how it helps the lead character to focus – what could be better?
[Pictured: Great chemistry all around, but particularly between James and Elgort]
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