Baby Driver (2017)

I spent a couple of weeks in Atlanta last month. Aside from the obvious Gone with the Wind links, a bit of Walking Dead action, and a sight of the Millennium Arch in the little-seen Triple 9, it's not particularly big in the movies. So I when I learned that Edgar Wright's new film, Baby Driver (which I had been planning on seeing regardless), was set in Atlanta, it gave me an extra reason to look forward to seeing it.

Atlanta streets get a fair workout in the film - a couple of glimpses of the skyline - but generally when the film is outside, it's either very locally focused, or moving too fast to be able to do much in the way of scenery spotting.

As for the film itself, Baby Driver has a comfortable old-school feel to the story. Wright (who wrote as well as directed) is clearly referencing back to a lot of American crime movies from the late 60s/early 70s. Take away Baby's earbuds (and cut back on the humour) and there's very little that would distinguish it from a movie of that time - save that the female characters are slightly less than useless in this film (which is not to say that there's much evolution in their parts).

Compared with Edgar Wright's other films, there's something almost tempered about this effort. That's not to say it isn't fast, funny and incredibly watchable, but the quirkiness seems a little dialed down compared to previous efforts. It meshes well with its milieu, and perhaps that's the reason why.

My main criticisms of the film probably lie with its climax - which is difficult to discuss without spoiling the film. There are some interesting reversals, but ultimately I didn't feel it played enough to the main character's skills - relying on more of a brute force approach than the skill evidenced elsewhere. It's a small bone to pick though, because I was thoroughly entertained by the film.