Joyride on cloud nine

Rating: 9/10 (11 July 2017)

Surprises this pleasing just don't come along often.
"Baby Driver" is a heist movie, and as such, it feels indebted to other luminaries (The Driver, Bullitt, Drive, Heat, etc). The only difference here is that the wheelman is someone more akin to Starlord than the usual loner. And just like those movies, jobs go wrong and loyalties swap quickly. But Baby (Ansel Elgort) doesn't belong in this underworld. He's not Gosling or McQueen, and that's where the movie reinvigorates the subgenre. Once the love interest (Lily James) gets dragged in, this reaches a whole different level.
But here's where the movie's real magic comes in. It's not just for lovers of fast cars and stunt driving (i.e. me); it's more about the universal appeal of music and how it soundtracks everything we do. It's why there's such bubbly pleasure to be had from both the chase scenes and something mundane, like going out for coffee. This is one big fanciful mixtape, and I don't think I've ever seen a movie make such novel use of it before. The songs really get into your pores. It's just an added bonus that there are brilliantly choreographed car chases to go with it.
I can almost guarantee that one cannot walk out of this movie without wearing a huge smile. It's almost a high.
9/10