Forget the Fast and the Furious movies, if you want a truly original car movie that pumps up your adrenaline level with first-rate action scenes and a killer soundtrack, “Baby Driver” is the summer film for you. This instant classic from director Edgar Wright (“Shaun of the Dead”, “Scott Pilgrim Vs the World”) is everything you would want from a popcorn film, and then some. Wright grabs us with his dynamic story and delivers non-stop excitement from beginning to end. I can’t remember the last time I had such a good time watching a movie on the big screen. For that, credit Ansel Elgort (“The Fault in Our Stars”), who plays Baby (weird, I know), a young getaway driver who listens to music on his iPod while performing tasks for crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey, never better). He wants out, of course, but there’s one more job to do and this is my cue to shut up. The music is propulsive throughout, featuring tracks from Queen, The Beach Boys, Beck, Simon & Garfunkel, and a long list of classic tunes to keep things exciting. As for Elgort, his lively, colorful performance adds the one ingredient that can make or break any film, no matter how entertaining: the human element. “Baby Driver”, as silly as it may sound, is a breathless rush of a film that spins your head around and quietly works its way into your heart. It’s easily one of the year’s best films so far. For the love of movies, do not miss it.
Categories: 3.5/4, action, crime, musical, The Twenty-First Century