A Different Direction for Wright

Rating: 6/10 (15 July 2017)

There seems to be a lot of praise for this film, but in my mind while it was fun, it wasn't anything all that out of the ordinary. I guess it has more to do with Edgar Wright than anything else, though I should mention that it is nothing like the Cornetto Trilogy, nor do the main actors from those films make an appearance. In fact, it seems that the only actor that is well known is Kevin Spacey, who plays what is in effect a pretty hardened crime boss, though I'm somewhat surprised that he lasted as long as he did when the heist that takes the centrepiece of this film goes completely pearshaped.
The film is about a getaway driver named baby, namely because he has a baby face (though a couple of scars suggest that he has gotten into his fair share of fights). As a driver he is second to none, and much of the film has him attempting to not only get away from the cops, but also getting away from some rather nasty enemies. However, it is also a romance of sorts, where he meets a lovely lady at a diner and they fall in love, though of course there is always the problem of his career.
The thing is that Baby made the mistake of stealing the wrong thing from the wrong person. However, instead of getting even, he was given a job, even if it was to simply pay back what is owed. The problem with crime is that once you are in, it is very hard to get out, especially if you happen to be really good at what you do (and in Baby's case it is driving cars). The other thing about heists is that it is always just one last heist, but the problem is that the last heist never ends up being the last heist because there is always another one just around the corner.
So, I guess this is a film about a young man, a baby even, who while he has been caught up in the criminal underworld, it still at that stage where he can make the right choice. The thing is that there are limits to what he is willing to do, and it is clear that we wants out. He is a good kid with a kind heart, it is just that he has been caught up with the wrong crowd. Actually, growing up an orphan does create that problem, though it is also clear that he has a loving step dad as well. It is an interesting contrast to those around him, who are all scarred, and rough, and beaten. Baby only has a couple of scars, which suggests that there is still time for him, but in the end it all comes down to the choices that he must make.