SXSW 2017 gave audiences the incredible opportunity to see Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver several months before its wide release. It was a smart move in that the film is now riding a wave of critical praise and audience buzz which, if there’s any justice in this world, will hopefully translate into box office success. I personally loved the film, and our own Jon Partridge was able to get a review out which captures the tone and spirit of the movie deftly. As the festival has gone on, however, I can’t get Baby Driver out of my mind, and felt it was worth spelling out what really sets this film apart and makes it not only a great action/heist film, but even an important contribution to popular cinema in 2017. Spoiler free!
The Music Is A Master Class, Not A Zeitgeist Sampler
Much digital ink has already been spilled over the high concept of the film, which is that virtually each sequence in the entire movie is scored by pre-approved musical tracks chosen by Wright himself and choreographed to those specific needle drops. It’s a wonderfully unique experience which Wright commits to whole heartedly. More on that later. But what sets the soundtrack of this film apart from, say, Suicide Squad, which was also filled top to bottom with a wide array of needle drops? The difference is that Wright is taking us to school with his selections. The music is cool as hell, but not the obvious choices. These aren’t songs sourced from market research, they’re Wright’s own juke box he wants to share with his audience, and it’ll deepen viewers’ appreciation of music as a whole rather than simply throwing them a bone of knowing recognition.
The Action Delivers Something New, While Drawing Inspiration From The Greatest
Baby Driver introduces us to a young hero who’s an absolute driving phenom. He demonstrates this with bravura robbery getaway sequences (obviously set to music) filmed entirely practically, continuing the long tradition of Hollywood car stunts from which it draws inspiration. In the age of Fast and Furious films (easy… there’s nothing wrong with those films) it’s a true thing of beauty to see practical stunt car work up on the big screen. And here, much like with the music of the film, Wright is honoring filmmakers like Walter Hill and William Friedkin who have crafted some of the greatest chase sequences of all time; but his approach is to honor the past by creating his own new sequences that will themselves thrill and delight the current generation, and in turn send them back to those great filmmakers hungry for more. Wright contributes to the conversation while drawing from the best. He’s moving cinema forward while honoring his roots.
The Style IS The Substance
I could see someone leveling a criticism at Baby Driver that it is “over stylized”, or perhaps represents a “style over substance” scenario. But I just don’t buy that. Wright is doing something here that’s never really been done in action cinema, building such a controlled and intentional soundscape that the film is shot and edited like a killer playlist. It’s rare because it is hard, and because “that isn’t how it’s done”. Wright is creating something highly (and relentlessly) stylized. But in this case the style IS substance. And that’s not to say there’s no other substance. The script is a perfectly escalating crime thriller with interesting characters that are enjoyable to follow. It’s a classic crime film, but it’s an Edgar Wright classic crime film. And it’s cool as shit.
BABY DRIVER Cements Edgar Wright’s Status As An Auteur
I was absolutely HUNGRY to see this film, because I wanted to see what a post-Marvel Edgar Wright film would look like. In what ways would Wright’s very public breakup with Marvel change him as a filmmaker? He was already a beloved writer/director. And something with Marvel just didn’t click. So he made a fiercely original, auteurist-action-musical, changing the way we’ll see the heist film, and pushing the boundaries of how filmmakers can utilize licensed music in their work. Young (white male) filmmakers have been getting giant franchise tentpoles thrown at them after one or two successful indies for the last several years. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. But Wright’s refusal to play by Marvel’s rules, and his execution of the boldly original Baby Driver, cements his status as a truly visionary filmmaker who’ll put up both middle fingers to the biggest studio in Hollywood if it means he can create his art on his own terms. Audiences will be richer for it, even if Wright’s pockets may not be.
And I’m Out.