Movie Blog Post: BABY DRIVER

Tinsel & Tine’s Look at BABY DRIVER

By Le Anne Lindsay, Editor

This action/heist movie set to music is written and directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and THE WORLD’S END), so anyone who’s seen any of those movies, knows this guy’s got an off-kilter sense of humor and a knack for keeping tight to his vision.

Baby Driver follows a young man who goes by Baby (Ansel Elgort) [THE FAULT IN OUR STARS and DIVERGENT Franchise] he’s paying off a debt to a crime boss played by Kevin Spacey, who uses Baby’s skills as an ace getaway driver. Other members of the crime enterprise are Buddy (Jon Hamm), Darling (Eiza Gonzalez) and Bats (Jamie Foxx) all of which play off-kilter criminals to excellent effect.

The trick to this movie is the music, it’s really a sound track with a movie instead of a movie with a soundtrack, but I say that admiring the creative concept. Baby always listens to music on his headphones, especially while driving, as a way to both soundtrack his life and drown out the ringing tinnitus in his ears.

The stakes get high when Baby meets a waitress named Debora (Lily James). He wants out of the criminal life anyway, but falling for Debora makes it more dire. Particularly in trying to keep her safely out of the gang’s reach.

Not only does Elgort walk, cook, drive & live to music, but the car chase scenes, which give Fast & Furious movies a run for their money, are all very timed to the rhythm of the songs – done the old fashioned way, no green screen.

I read an interview where Wright explained the importance that during filming all the cast and crew had to listen to each song in the scene through ear buds, so that the entire movie is choreographed and syncopated in their movements, right down to the gun fire. Wright also likes shooting on film rather than digital, only conceding the need for a few scenes shot digitally.

The movie has been a long time percolating in Wright’s brain, compiling songs for the film for over 10 years. In fact, he wouldn’t write a scene without knowing the song first.

And, long before Baby Driver came into existence, Edgar Wright test drove the film’s central concept with a music video for the band Mint Royale… READ MORE slashfilm.com

‘Baby Driver’ in a way is a lot of different passions colliding in one movie — to do a full-on action movie, but it’s also about music at the same time. So to kind of tackle my twin passions in one movie, it’s a dream come true.’ – Edgar Wright

The soundtrack includes an eclectic mix of everything from the obscure Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s “Bellbottoms”, “Egyptian Reggae” by Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers, to popular songs like Sam & Dave’s “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby”, “Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up” by Barry White and so many more… What a smart idea to make a summer movie with a killer soundtrack for everyone to crank up and ride around to, sunroof open, windows down.

T & T’s LAMB (movie bloggers association) Score:4 outta 5