Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, Jon Bernthal, Lily James, Eiza González, CJ Jones.
When I first heard of this and watched the trailer, I thought this was a parodical prequel to Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive. You could almost assume it was the driving influence behind Edgar Wright's American debut. But no, Walter Hill's 1978 The Driver is a part of the influence behind this vehicle. Hill actually provides his voice in a cameo part for this movie. Even the GTA style posters gave the film that quirky edge, telling audiences this was going to be a lot of fun.
Wright started writing the script back in 1995 and directed Mint Royale's Blue Song back in 2003 as a taster for what was to come some years later. He even got the advance to make the film back in 2007!
Baby is our protagonist, an eccentric and incredibly talented getaway driver that is borderline superhuman. I say borderline because all the stunt driving was actually performed without the use of CGI. And he does so with the help of listening to his favourite tracks on stolen iPods. Working for a local mob boss under a similar contractual arrangement to Besson's Léon. Baby comes driving when Doc beckons. But when he meets the adorable Debora, he's given an incentive to get out of the world but with the talents he possesses, one such as himself cannot simply, just getaway.
Baby, played superbly by Elgort, stands his ground with quite a supporting cast of Spacey, Foxx and Hamm. All of which play rather abrasive characters in their own way. Though, it is a character I can see being played by others, especially by John Boyega and Logan Lerman who also considered for the role.
Superb choreographed long shots, especially the opening coffee run. The rhythm and matching tempo. It's brilliantly scripted and filmed with music being very much the focus. The soundtrack is absolute key here, one that rivals Tarantino and Ritchie playlists. Wright even sent iPods with the soundtrack along with the script to the cast to help them envision what their characters are.
Now, is it overhyped? Are people going a little too mad for Wright's masterpiece, which, technically it really is, synchronising musical tempo and film seemingly together, so much so, the untrained eye would only relish it subconsciously. It's a fun feast for the eyes regardless. It's how I like my drinks, cool and refreshing.
Running Time: 9
The Cast: 8
Performance: 9
Direction: 10
Story: 8
Script: 9
Creativity: 10
Soundtrack: 10
Job Description: 10
The Extra Bonus Point: 10 for the funky fusion that could almost be considered a musical.
93% 9/10
