The least comedic of Edgar Wright films

Rating: Null/10 (19 August 2017)

Quite often when a director is said to have a style, it is meant as a derogatory comment. Like that style keeps the director from focusing on supposedly worthier aspects of film. This is often the criticism aimed at Quentin Tarantino, for example. But I don't agree with that. Style is what gives films their identity. It's what you remember when you have forgotten the names of the characters, or the exact twists of the plot, or lines of dialogue. You remember the imagery, the mood, the atmosphere. And in that quite few directors can compete with Edgar Wright.
Baby Driver is a great film to watch as an audiovisual experience alone, without even going into the story and the characters at all. Wright experiments with the camera and the shots constantly, giving us some real eye candy and some of the best car chases in decades. The story of course going that Baby (Ansel Elgort) is the hottest getaway driver in town, even with his idiosyncrasies, like listening to music all the time or being something of an oddball socially. Music overall is a huge theme in the movie and many of the scenes are set to actual tracks of music, from Queen to Barry White and from Bob & Earl to Simon & Garfunkel.
The acting is also topnotch. Elgort is by far the most untested of the illustrious lot, but he performs beautifully, giving us a lovable main character with quirks and twists. Someone who can veer from crime to justice and make it believable. Kevin Spacey as his main employer is also great casting and the rest of his crew is also littered with great actors and performances.
But even with all that this is still nowhere near as good as the Cornetto Trilogy, in my opinion. And I think the reason for that is the fact that this is not as comedic. It's not really a comedy at all, unlike all those three films. It has comedic moments in it, but overall it tries to be a straightforward action blast. The problem with that is that the plot is still so convoluted and bizarre that it kind of needs the be a comedy in order for you to accept it. The film blazes onward with full throttle all the time and the fatigue sets in near the start of the third act. At which point you stop caring. For me personally, the first act was amazing. Great scenes, great chases, great music. The second wasn't as good, but it deepened the characters and set the stakes. But then the third act tries to go out all guns blazing, but aside from Baby, you haven't formed enough of a connection to any of the characters to care.
But, let's not think that this means the film is not worth a watch. No, by no means no. It's still an amazing film on many levels. It's simply not as good as some of Wright's other films. But that's a high bar indeed to reach. What Baby Driver has is style in abundance, great main character, great music and the best car chases you've seen in years. What it lacks a little bit is a tighter storyline. But that's it.