Didn't quite kill it, but fun ride nonetheless

Rating: 7/10 (11 August 2017)

Baby Driver is an aptly named movie. Its cartoony, strange name sounds as incongruous as the life that the reticent but kind protagonist Baby is leading, or rather, has been forced to lead.
A deft blend of humour, action, violence and fabulous music, Baby Driver doesn't burden itself with complicated motives or deep-seated psychological impulses. It merely gives you a wink and nod, invites you to hop on for a fun ride – then sucks you into Baby's closed-in, yet music-filled world from the get go.
The characters of Buddy, Monica and Bats are quite obviously caricatures – little or no explanations are given as to why they opted for a life of crime, or how they met the big boss Doc, who commissions them for various jobs with different teams (with the exception of Baby), depending on the nature of the job and his whims.
Quite frankly, as the movie unfolds to the joyful sounds emanating from Baby's iPod, neither would you care even if you had known their back stories. Everything is quite plainly, as it seems. Or is it? A skilled getaway driver who is an absolute maniac at the wheel, Baby, who suffers from tinnitus, is finally given the option of leading another life when he finishes a last deal for Doc, which will pay off his debt to the former.
Even better – he finds a good reason to pluck the earphones from his ears and engage in some real conversation with a real person aside from a few mumbled phrases to Doc and his motley crew – he meets Debora, a music-loving, sparkly and spirited lass who someday dreams of hitting the road "in a car she can't afford with a plan she doesn't have".
But madness and mayhem ensue with the appearance of the crazed Bats, well played by Jamie Foxx, down to the almost twitching suspicion lurking behind his every move. Suddenly, the game has turned dangerous, even menacing. Doc demands that Baby get back into the game, or risk the safety of Debora.
What must Baby do – resign himself to a life of crime and violence – or risk everything he has to free himself? Credit must be given to Ansel Elgort, who plays Baby with a charming mix of pouty, silent rebellion, cockiness, confusion and pained suffering pooling in his eyes – caught in a game he never wanted to be in. As frightening as he is hilarious, Kevin Spacey plays Doc with gleeful abandon. His clearly enunciated threats offer a stark contrast to Baby's silent yet painful submission and affirmatives uttered through gritted teeth. Likewise, the pedestrian life that bright-as-a-button Lily James' Debora leads highlights the money-driven, hedonistic backdrop of Baby's world.
When this world and Debora's reality meet head-on, Baby is forced to make his choice.
Don't expect intricate plot lines – the storyline is straightforward and almost predictable. The moral message at the end is clear – all deeds must be accounted for, yet with a hint of hope at the end, it leaves you to come to your own conclusion.