First Take: Baby Driver- no Cornetto needed for full enjoyment

SYPNOSIS- After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.

A lot of expectation has been put on Edgar Wright’s latest effort, and understandably so- The World’s End under performed dramatically back in 2013, and as such, a film that has been in the works since 1995 could be considered a huge gamble. But it ultimately pays off, as this is probably the must-see film of the year so far.

Wright’s direction is as tight as it has been for his whole career, and taking his own script to the screen is an easy task for the man who popularised the whip pan camera technique for comedy. Speaking of that script, it is very tonally different to Wright’s more well known work on the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, with more of an emphasis on action and brilliantly staged car chases over raw comedy- but it still passed the 6 laugh test. The opening chase alone is worth going to see on the biggest screen you can find, that’s how well put together this film is. It’s shot brilliantly by Bill Pope, it’s scored well by Steven Price, and I have to give credit to editors Jonathan Amos and Paul Machliss for stitching a film as full-on as this together.

Performance wise, Ansel Elgort is a very likeable lead, and once he is paired up with Lily James, sure, the chemistry may not be quite there, but the characters feel fleshed out and believable, most notably during the final act of the film. The supporting cast are also brilliant, with talents including Jon Hamm, Kevin Spacey, Jon Berthal and Jamie Foxx putting in some great work. Now, it would be wrong to talk about an Edgar Wright film without mentioning the soundtrack. The selection that we have here is probably one of the most diverse ever- from Beck to Focus with a little bit of Simon and Garfunkel thrown in for good measure, this is the best example of what big screen entertainment is all about.

THE VERDICT

Baby Driver is a brilliant return to form for Wright and his team, and because of this, it’s one of the most unique, original and must-see films to come out this summer- and it deserves to be played loud on the biggest screens imaginable. I honestly think a surprise contender for Film of the Year has just popped up in this beauty.

RATING: 5/5