baby driver – NZ Film Freak

Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
Released: July 2007
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent
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A brilliant action-comedy from writers Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. It’s one of my favourite films, and I can’t believe I’d never gotten around to review it.

Hot Fuzz is the second instalment of what is referred to as the ‘Cornetto trilogy’ by Edgar Wright fans (due to the ice cream’s frequent appearances). Shaun of the Dead being the first, The World’s End being the third.

This is my favourite film of the three because it is so cleverly written and very funny. It follows the story of goody-two-shoes London policeman (rather “police officer. Being a man has nothing to do with it.”) named Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) who gets transferred to a small, rural village against his wishes.

Sergeant: …we’re making you sergeant.
Nicholas: I see.
Sergeant: [mumbles]
Nicholas: In where, sorry?
Sergeant: In Sandford, Gloucestershire.
Nicholas: But that’s in the country…
Sergeant: Yes! Lovely!

The straight-laced Sergeant Angel is frustrated by the Sandford police who prefer to turn the other cheek rather than causing a fuss when someone breaks the law. He soon discovers there is a reason for this.

So, with amateur officer Danny Butterman (Nick Frost) as his sidekick, Angel’s love for the law is put into full swing as they begin a full-on investigation into what is going on in the village.

Inspired by stereotypical action films, the writers have made fun of the genre by including all the sorts of characters you’d usually see in an action film. They even go as far as re-enacting popular action movie scenes, or quoting them. They’ve studied the genre very well!

Danny: Where’s the trolley boy?
Nicholas: In the freezer.
Danny: Did you say “cool off?”
Nicholas: No I didn’t say anything…
Danny: Shame.
Nicholas: Well, there was the bit that you missed where I distracted him with the cuddly monkey then I said “play time’s over” and I hit him in the head with the peace lily.
Danny: You’re off the fuckin’ chain!

This entertaining and fast-paced film is littered with hilarious one-liners and nods to action film tropes and quotes. The script for this movie is so clever – it must have taken ages to work out how it was all going to piece together.

The script has a lot of fore-shadowing all through it, weaved through an intriguing mystery of murders and outrageous characters. My favourite being two officers, both named Andrew – AKA ‘The Andes’ played by Paddy Considine and Rafe Spall.

The editing is incredible, which is classic Edgar Wright. We studied his work for an entire year at high school; I can see his influence a mile off now, even in his most recent film, Baby Driver.

If you love gun fights, car chases and a good belly laugh, then this is the perfect film! A classic date night movie too, I think. Just like Shaun of the Dead and The World’s End, it’s a great blend of genres to keep everyone happy.

For me, some of the action scenes were a bit long-winded, and just when you think the film is finished, it doesn’t. But maybe that’s because I don’t actually like action films all that much.

Danny: Have you ever fired two guns whilst jumping through the air?
Nicholas: No.
Danny: Have you ever fired one gun whilst jumping through the air?
Nicholas: No.
Danny: Ever been in a high-speed pursuit?
Nicholas: Yes, I have.
Danny: Have you ever fired a gun whilst in a high speed pursuit?
Nicholas: No!

I love films that make fun of themselves, and this is the king of them all. I can recite the whole film, I think – I’ve watched it so many times!

Jodie’s rating: 8/10

Baby Driver Movie poster

Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Edgar Wright
Released: June 2017
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey, Ansel Elgort, Lily James and Jon Hamm
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From the genius that is Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End and Scott Pilgrim vs the World), comes Baby Driver. A music-infused movie about a getaway driver named Baby, played by baby-faced actor Ansel Elgort (The Fault in our Stars).

Deborah (Lily James): “You’re name’s Baby? B-A-B-Y, Baby?”

Baby scores his own life by picking the appropriate music on his iPod for everything he does. He doesn’t do anything without music playing in his ears, stemming from a traumatic car crash as a child that left him with tinnitus.

Doc (Kevin Spacey): “Still got a hum in the drum, he plays his iPod to drown it out”

I’m thinking this might be converted into an all-singing, all-dancing musical or stage play one day.

In some ways, it’s a ‘runaway film‘. But this theme in the movie is soon hijacked by reality, how you can’t run forever and how you must face the music at some point. This realism is something I like about the film.

Baby Driver movie

Whereas I usually fall asleep during action films, such as in various James Bond scenes, I didn’t in Baby Driver. I think because it was mixed with comedy a lot of the time, and it appears to be a tad more realistic, because the protagonists actually get hit in gun fights.

Bats (Jamie Foxx): “The moment you catch feelings is the moment you catch a bullet.”

I have studied Wright’s films ever since I started studying media at high school. Baby Driver exhibits classic Wright hallmarks, including extremely layered shots where you’ll pick something new up on every watch. There is nothing in this movie that is there by accident. Their costume, the music; everything is there for a reason.

Baby Driver movie - Kevin Spacey and Ansel Elgort

My favourite Wright hallmark is the very long scene without a single edit, all perfectly choreographed, just like in Shaun of the Dead when Simon Pegg’s character walks to the corner shop and back.

Another one, is the compilation of short, sharp edits. Finally, Wright’s English humour running through the dialogue, making Baby Driver stand out from the more glossy Hollywood action films.

Baby (Ansel Elgort): Your tattoo says ‘hat’?
JD: Yeah, it used to say ‘hate’. But to increase my chances of employment I had the E removed.
Baby: How’s that working out for you?
JD: Who doesn’t like hats?

While I thoroughly enjoyed the first third of the film, it went a bit long and flabby in the middle. Toward the end it picks up again, until the very end, which seems rushed, causing my suspension of disbelief to be stretched.

JD: I left my shotgun behind.
Bats: Not groovy JD. Not groovy at all.

While this isn’t a favourite film of mine, it is certainly a one-in-a-million film, and a good date night movie. The characters are cool and are played by talented actors, with a love story and a ton of wicked car chases and gun fights.

Griff: Is [Baby] retarded?
Doc: Retarded means slow. Was he slow?
Griff: No.

Jodie’s rating: 6.5/10