Wheels Of Fortune: A Stylised Action-Musical That Thrills And Spills

As much as it’s a necessity for any film to prioritise on the story-telling credentials and how the structure of the narrative naturally consolidates with the characters quirks and motivations, it can’t be underestimated how much cinematic style can simply intrigue an audiences gaze. Whether it’s a distinctive film-making methodology that derives from an established director or the norm of most features implementing the straight-forward Classical Hollywood mode of means, the many differentiating filmic styles are indeed paramount and help to diversify a film-makers work from another’s. Of course, in witnessing many unique films from the likes of Wes Anderson, Terrence Malick, Quentin Tarantino and many other accepted contemporary auteurs, it’s not hard to fathom just how much multiplicity there is in regards to cinematic style and how each one of these filmic approaches offers a wholly idiosyncratic experience. Much of the same can be said of Edgar Wright, a director that’s synonymous in constructing a film in its fullest capacity by applying simplistic yet effective editing approaches towards mundane things that are viscerally rewarding to perceive. While there’s an heavy and instantaneous emphasis on musical-interplay within his latest feature, which is something that hasn’t been seen done before-hand in his preceding features, Wright’s imaginative yet melodious roaring-romp of Baby Driver exceeds expectations and showcases musically choreographed sequences that epitomises the meaning of a true cinematic experience…

After being coerced into working for a crime kingpin, a young and partially impaired getaway driver, named Baby, finds himself taking part in heists that are doomed to fail and relies upon on the beat of his personalised soundtrack to be the best in the game. After meeting the girl of his dreams in Debora, Baby see’s a chance to ditch his shady lifestyle and make a clean break. However, just when he thinks he’s finally free and clear to live his life on the road with his new girl, Baby is once again pressured into a job which see’s himself and everything he cares for in terrible danger. To survive and escape the coming maelstrom, can the renowned Mozart-a-go-kart face the music as a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom?…

Inspired by an assortment of preceding car-chase films of similar ilk, what’s apparent right from the exquisitely constructed opening car-chase sequence in Edgar Wright’s latest imaginative cinematic work of Baby Driver is the quirky yet engaging implementation of character actions and motion coinciding with the rhythm-blaring beat of the catchy music playing on the central characters iPod; which is consistently played throughout the run-time due to the hear-aching nature of the Baby himself. Indeed, With the tape providing soundtrack excitement and a popping score that seamlessly interchanges from being diegetic to non-diegetic music – sound that is supposed to exist literally within the action, that is, the music coming form the protagonists earphones, and music that exists to simply set the tone of the particular scenario that is being displayed on-screen – the ambient verbal pleasure that is bestowed upon the characters every minute action alongside the beat of a particular catchy song certainly breaks the boundaries of verisimilitude and becomes not only a quirk in itself, but a wholly different yet oddly romantic convention which coherently unifies the confines of action-choreography with the grandeur and spectacle of musical. This is showcased most entertainingly right after the beautifully filmed opening car-chase scene when we see Baby, mundanely yet exuberantly, dawdling down street to get coffee for his heisting comrades whilst listening to Bob & Earl’s ‘Harlem Shuffle’. It’s moment like this in the film, along with a specifically imperative gun-bout sequence which see’s the shots of gun-fire play in-sync with the guitar-bass riffs of The Focus’ ‘Hocus Pocus’, which not only justifies Wright’s Baby Driver in being a film that is engagingly riveting and funny, a likeness that can be seen in many of Tarantino’s pop-centric screenplays of Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, but is an original filmic entry that wholeheartedly exhibits a true cinematic experience through the lavish editing and gripping car set-pieces that some of the best put into a feature such as this. One of the more intersting things to note of an action film like this, which deliberately utilises the soundtrack to be more than just a backdrop and, instead, heightens the intense bravado from its inception to the conclusion, is how much the action that is displayed romantically resembles a performance you might witness in a contemporary ballet. In viewing many highly-stylised action-orientated films such as John Wick and Equilibrium, it will come to no surprise by cinema-goers just how much of the ‘gun-fu’ depicted in these films, which originated from John Woo’s ‘Heroic Bloodshed’ film of A Better Tomorrow, is an artistic action trope that is masterfully choreographed and filmed usually zoomed-in tracking shots creating not only surrealistic action sequences that are guilty pleasures to witness, but inert this profound sense of intimacy; a togetherness which resembles the romance of dance of two ‘partners’ facing each other in synchronisation. Although Baby Driver fixates only on a stylistic and film-making aesthetic surrounding the connoisseur pop of driving and not on the fictional style of ‘gun-fu’, the way in which Wright amalgamates the funky music with the actions that are carried out on-screen by friend or foe further bridges this allocation of action set-pieces mirroring the elaborate and modern grandeur that Damien Chazelle exemplified in his magical musical of La La Land. The very fact that nearly ever scene encompasses a different song that corresponds with the mannerisms of the characters and sequences is refreshing to beholden by and shouldn’t be understated in comparison to a lot of films that are vaguely similar to this very feature. Echoing what was mentioned in the introduction, it’s easy to fathom the stylistic formalities that a specific contemporary auteur likes to use, and in the case of Edgar Wright’s film-making, it’s so noticeable instantaneously; you don’t even have to know that it’s one of his films that you’re watching. That is, indeed, one of the beautiful things about the director of this film which cleverly incorporates music and action as a single and noticeable formality.   

As much as Edgar Wright pursues a stylistic glossiness that’s not meant to be grounded in grittiness like the films that is was inspired by and, instead, imbues a film-going experience that transcends the defined meaning of what action and musical features are, there’ not much complexity when it comes to Baby Driver’s plot since it follows a straightforward heist-tale that fairly predictable and doesn’t warrant as much twists and turns as a viewer, who will be engrossed by the visualisation, would expect. While many will make narrative connotations with Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless and Arthur Penn’s Bonnie and Clyde in relation to this features plot and how it steadily progresses into a filmic tale which see’s the loveable protagonist caught between the love that he’s found in the young waitress and a driving job for which he performs to pay off a debt to a crime boss, it’s the finer character details and the interactions with one another that make the world we’re watching so engrossing to perceive. From the dead-pan nature of the crime-lord Doc, to the swagger and effortless charisma of Baby, which easily bewitches the charm and richness of the diner waitress Debora, it’s never a negligence to see these characters interact with one another since each interaction presents us with something new about the personalities of each of the individuals; in turn, making us care about characters that didn’t need our sympathetic approval. Even though the simplistic nature of the narrative structure is something which many astute cinema-lovers will know how the displayed events will unfold and may not be endeared by it’s film-making majesty to go along with it, its accessibility alone drives (mind the pun 😏) our wondering eyes into a refreshing film that is at least experimenting with formalities that have never really been seen before. By all accounts, if this was a feature that didn’t inert a fantastical film-making approach to a norm story-line such as this, this review would be very different. Along with the stimulating way in which Wright balances the action with the bursting music, it’s the personalities of the characters themselves that personify Baby Driver to be one of the best films to watch all year long as we’re always wanting to see more. This is conveyed particularly in a Michael Myers gag where we have secondary characters arguing over the masks they bought for a heist.

Even though it’s arguable to look at the films narrative and say that the unambiguous story-line is never as stimulating as the stylised veneer that surrounds it, what’s evident throughout the 115 minutes duration of Baby Driver is how devoted the performances are for each one of the characters shown. As much as audiences will praise the cinematic quality of the camera-work and it intertwines seamlessly with what is being displayed, it can’t be understated just how divine the cast is since there isn’t a performance that goes astray from there character is meant to be. This can be inclined with the enactment that Kevin Spacey performs in his role as the dead-pan yet quirky Doc since his role as the character instigator, helps elevate the situation that is presented to Baby later in the film; in turn, making us care for the protagonists predicament. His way of quickly spurring out dialogue in a manner which is inviting and shows his acting majesty in full fruition within his role as Doc. One of the hallmarks to notice of Edgar Wright’s directing when it comes to the development of characterisation and what certain dialogue to establish in relation to a specific character, is the solid chemistry between characters that provoke certain emotions to flesh out. Even though within Shaun of the Dead the focus is on a central character that’s trying to get his life-together whilst surviving a zombie-pandemic, it’s the many different character interplay’s, whether it’s with Shaun and Liz talking about their failing relationship or Ed and Shaun’s mother trying to know how they’re getting on with life, that keeps our interest glued to the screen. In the case of Baby Driver, much of the same can be seen since we not only have on-screen chemistry between Spacey’s character and Ansel Elgort’s enactment as Baby in discussing their criminal relationship, but we also have the charming romantic sub-plot between Elgort and Lily James’ role ad Deborah. With their being many character relationship throughout the course of the film, Baby Driver swiftly becomes a film that a variety of different demographics can find enjoyment in. Elgort as the notorious Baby somewhat steals the screen; bringing a necessary swagger and understanding of choreography needed to pull off such as specifically directed film. What is disappointing in his character role however, is how much we only care about his elaborate car moves than the personality itself and when the film culminates in the shoot-em’ up concluding scenario you’d expect from this type of narrative, it doesn’t pack the weight that it should in order to have the most impact on the audience. It is only when Baby interacts with his failing foster father or gazes into the eyes of Lily James’ role, who played her part with a charming ensnarement like her preceding role as Cinderella, which provokes into wanting Baby to succeed and lead a ‘free’ with the girl of his dreams. To compensate for the arguable lack of identity that Baby doesn’t fully show-off, unlike his skills on the wheel, the cool bewitchment of Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx’s characters certainly set the tone for this film be what it is.   

Although the hype surrounding this latest cinematic feature is deafening to even witness, Edgar Wright’s highly stylised film of Baby Driver for the most part lives to the demand and expectations of audiences and critics alike by implementing a filmic formality that cleverly amalgamates the choreographed motion and actions of the characters alongside the soundtrack which everyone will look-up soon after they’ve finished watching the film. Although the simplistic and predictable structure of the narrative is a concept that avid film-lovers will have seen many times before and isn’t as impactful as its stylised packaging, it’s highly unlikely that people will be walking out of the theatres in disappointment since the devoted performances of the actors in their respected and intriguing roles grab your attention in a consistent manner. Indeed, having written and directed Baby Driver, Wright has created a delightful new film that is sure to not only satisfy his fans and entertain those who are unaware of his film-making, but will stand to be one of the most creative films by the years end…

On that note, it’s time for to end this week’s review. As always everyone, thank you for reading my latest film review of Baby Driver and I hope you’ve all enjoyed the read!! 😉 If anyone has an opinion on either my review or on the film itself, please feel free to drop a comment down below. Next week, I will be reviewing Spider-Man: Homecoming or discussing the Netflix feature of Okja. Once again, thank you for reading this week’s Blog Post, and I’ll see you all next week! Have a nice weekend! Adieu! 😁✌

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – Alex Rabbitte