Saturday on the Big Screen - Baby Driver Review: A high-octane rollercoaster of music and mechanics

Hello Internet!

I hope you are doing well wherever you are in the world today 🌏

It's been a crazy busy couple of days since my last post, but happy weekend/incoming weekend everyone!

Usually the weekend is the time for maximum relaxation after the perils of the working week, but I am still busy and consequently a little bit tired. With university returning this week, I think I need to get used to it.

But real talk for a second, I am super grateful for the fact that I have had such a lovely break, with lots of fun adventures and some chill time. Here's to the next twelve weeks of learning! 📚

In one of my previous posts, I hinted at another movie review I had in the works, so today is the reveal day! You've read the title, and as it will tell you the lucky film is Baby Driver! 😁🚗😁

I saw it twice because I enjoyed it so much, and that is saying something considering I am not usually a fan of action/car/heist films. But as my review will tell you, there is more to this film than meets the eye 🙊🙊🙊

So without further ado, here is my review of Baby Driver for your (hopefully) enjoyment....

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Source: Junkee.com

Baby Driver is a raw and edgy action-thriller; jam packed full of intensity, heart and some pretty awesome tunes.

Expert getaway driver Baby (Ansel Elgort) is paying off a debt to criminal mastermind Doc (Kevin Spacey) and relies on his playlists to get him through life. But after meeting and eventually falling in love with waitress sweetheart Debora (Lily James), Baby decides it is finally time to make a clean break from his crooked occupation and start over.

However, his last job proves to be his most dangerous as Baby’s freedom and the lives of the people he cares about is threatened.

Baby works those gears like a freaking boss and audiences can’t help but be enthralled in how effortlessly he is able to evade capture. He is passionate about cars, music and protecting the people he loves.

This is arguably one of Elgort’s strongest acting performances to date. The subtlety with which he brought Baby to life as a vulnerable, lovable and reluctant criminal is something to be applauded.

Baby meets Debora, played by the radiant James, and their sweet romance is cute on so many levels. The attraction is instant and the chemistry is so beautiful that you end up rooting for them and their dreams of music and the open road.

Baby (Elgort) and Debora (James) have a wonderful connection and develop a very sweet and loving relationship
Source: Collider.com

Spacey's villain in chief Doc was a bit of an enigma because there was nothing particularly flashy about him. But the direct, no-nonsense vibe of his operations and the hard-line way he speaks to his robbers-for-hire signify strength and intelligence that other masterminds can only dream of.

He wears a suit and uses a blackboard like it’s the 1950s, but that doesn’t stop him from being a commanding bad guy who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.

Crazy career criminal Bats, played by the king of the cool dudes Jamie Foxx, is unforgettable because of how unapologetic he is about his severe mental and anger issues. He’s a lot to handle and causes a lot of problems, but his banter is top-notch and how sure he is of himself is something to respect.

Another hoodlum that stands out is Buddy, played by a rough and grungy Jon Hamm. He has his placid moments, but ultimately proves that he’s just as hardcore as the Bats’ of the Atlanta criminal circuit.

Bats (Foxx) and Buddy (Hamm) have a few tense conversations throughout the film because Rule No. 1 of being a Criminal is trust no-one.
Source: Collider.com 

Working with a wonderfully intelligent concept, director Edgar Wright has not surprisingly delivered another product of innovative cinematic brilliance. It's a confident brand of storytelling that is full of suspense and surprise vulnerability.

The tone was intense from start to finish, with audiences often not knowing where the story was going to shift to next.

Some action films fall victim to including too much combat without time to process what's going on. But Baby Driver strikes a very good balance with plenty of witty dialogue to keep things interesting.

Audiences are also swept up in the soundtrack because it basically drives the film.... (pun completely intended).

Protagonist Baby was in a car accident when he was younger, and he was left with a permanent ringing in his ears. He drowns out the hum by filling his eardrums with any and every kind of music. From groovy Egyptian reggae to the rock and roll jams of Queen, this film has all your musical bases covered.

Baby keeps the tunes in his ears pretty much all the time and has a wonderful taste in music, with artists like Queen and Lionel Richie making an appearance.
Source: Screenrant  

Not only do these songs help to characterise pivotal moments in Baby's life, but they also add rock and roll star power to the car chases. Every wheelspin is choreographed to music, creating this insane effortlessness that is often hard to fathom.

The entire plot ended up being cleverly framed around the music, and that made the dynamic visuals and crazy action sequences all the more fun and enjoyable.

You don’t need to be a mechanic or a metal head to enjoy Baby Driver, because it is so much more than just another run-of-the-mill action car movie.

Wright's niche cinematic genius combined with intuitive and well-timed dabbles in comedy and romance created a complex narrative that was satisfying on so many levels.

It’s truly a blast and a damn good time at the cinema!

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So there you go, I hope you enjoyed that review. I love writing them and celebrating cinematic talent; no matter the themes or the genre. If you know someone who would also enjoy this review, please share it around and recommend to friends 😊

Question of the Day: What's a movie that you expected to hate before you watched it, but actually ended up loving? Leave me your answers in the comments section below, and be sure to follow me over on Instagram (@miss_memphis98) if you feel like being updated on all things blog 💟

Thanks for reading,

Love and musical sparkplugs, Emily xx 🎶🚘💜