Baby Driver

I'm sure a title like Baby Driver makes one imagine a few possibilities. Who'd ever imagine that the end result is an action thriller? Or one of the best original summer films from a major studio in years?

"Baby" (Ansel Elgort), as he's known, is the getaway driver employed by Atlanta crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey). His parents were killed in a crash which left him with tinnitus, which he drowns out with music. But he can still evade the cops like the best drivers. Baby proved his worth by stealing from Doc, which is why he works for him. The debt is now paid and Baby can go straight.

Baby meets a waitress, Debora (Lily James), with whom he plans to head out west. Unfortunately, Doc abruptly renews Baby's contract for a Post Office job. His crew includes the psychotic Bats (Jamie Foxx) and married crooks Buddy (Jon Hamm) and Darling (Eiza Gonzalez). Baby looks for his exit from the underworld while Bats' attitude derails the operation.

Writer/Director Edgar Wright and his crew never slow down during the film's 113 minutes. The film's action is edited by Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss in-tune with a collection of standards and Steven Price's original score. The car chases zoom with clarity and style. The dramatic revelations hit like an oncoming semi. Cinematographer Bill Pope gets points right off the bat for filming in Atlanta and in locales I recognize, like my Alma Matter, Georgia State University. The cinematography itself exemplifies the moods from dread, to action, to even the scale of the city spectacularly. The sound designers make Baby's tinnitus loud and clear; it especially affects him in the climax.

There's not a single miscast character here. Elgort is a great lead as Baby and James is fine as Debora. Spacey is threatening as Doc, but we see he legitimately cares about Baby. Foxx and Hamm are formidable villains, the latter even more so in the climax. Amongst the supporting cast, there's Brogan Hall as Doc's surprisingly polite nephew Samm, CJ Jones as Baby's deaf foster father Joseph and Paul Williams as an arms-dealer called The Butcher.

Baby Driver finds time for a few fun laughs in all the excitement. It's still a serious story with an off-beat title. It works because its lead is likable, his goals are understandable and the screenplay knows how to raise the stakes. The final resolution is sweet and satisfying. What's more to say. Apparently, a lot, since there's already talk of a sequel. Let's hope that a potential next one is just as memorable and stylish as this musical caper.