Baby Driver: After four films of genre-bending and deft comedic goodness, Edgar Wright finally returns to the scene with... a relatively straightforward crime thriller?! Indeed, the film hits all the hallmarks of the genre rather faithfully, which could feel like something of a step down from the ambition of the high concepts that Wright has been able to wrangle in the past. As is often the case with genre fare these days, it's less about what it's about and more about how they tell it, and it should come as no surprise that Wright crafts a crime thriller that looks, sounds and moves like no other. Much has been made about the synchronization of audio and editing of the film, which might seem a tad overstated to anyone expecting some kind of weird musical version of The Driver (amusingly, the only scene where that really takes effect is the superb opening credits sequence, feeling like a lost Michel Gondry music video in how it takes a mundane task like picking up coffee and turns it into a grand adventure), but taken as for what it actually is, the inventive editing and offbeat soundtrack choices give this film a racing pulse in a genre that really hasn't seen a whole lot new in a while, and certainly not with this level of expert craftsmanship. Similarly, the cast here is filled with big names that are keyed into Wright's quirks without taking away from the intended suspense and intrigue that needs to happen, playing their parts with the right levels of humor and menace (special shout-outs go to both Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx for how well they manage those aspects of their characters). Great stunt driving is expected, but having someone like Wright who actually has the patience to show you it without feeling like they needed to attach a camera to an epileptic jackhammer for a more "visceral experience" is an all too rare phenomenon these days, but the one element that I was really over the moon on was how well the film captured Atlanta as a city. As a Georgia resident these days, I've made plenty of trips down to the city, so seeing it come alive and hitting up so many places I've been to is a real treat (never have I been so excited to see a Suntrust ATM!) and somewhat exciting as this is one of the first times in a long while where it hasn't had to stand in for another major city, real or fictional. It's a great local flavor that few films would indulge in, making the whole film feel alive even when nothing exciting is going on. If I have a quibble, I wasn't too convinced by the romantic subplot the film had to have, which I feel might be the victim of Wright perhaps compressing it down a little too much to make the chemistry between Ansel Elgort and Lily James feel like it takes off properly, which does lead to a somewhat flat ending in spite of its good intentions. Not that either actor doesn't put in the work, as both have a nice awkward charm that definitely could have worked wonders with more elaboration, but I felt like their scenes together and alone drag as a result and are the indicators of feeling the run time more than anything else. The film still works rather well with that misstep, and the fact that Wright was able to do so well with something more outside of his wheelhouse makes me excited to see what else he can do outside of comedy. Who knows: maybe even a horror film that hems close to what he was able to accomplish with his brilliant Grindhouse trailer could be just the ticket.
I'm not joking, that Suntrust ATM is the one I use every time I'm down there for Dragoncon.
The KStew nudity made up for it though. I don't know, really tense, loved it.
