In regards to the comparisons to Drive, I have to admit that such ideas are quickly dismissed early on in the film. Yes, we have similar characters, but the tone couldn't be more different. We meet Baby (Ansel Elgort), a driver who listens to music in his ipod to drown out a ringing in his ears from a childhood accident. He works for Doc (Kevin Spacey), a crime lord of some sort who employs Baby as the getaway driver for his various heists. His team ranges from the regulars like Buddy (John Hamm) to the quick-tempered and fiery Bats (Jamie Foxx).
As we would expect, Baby falls for a waitress named Debora (Lily James) who finds his quiet demeanor attractive and his taste in music fabulous. As their romance blossoms, so does the risk of imminent danger. With each new mission, the threats rise beyond just being captured by police. The violence slowly mounts, and by the end we have a bloodbath in which no one is safe.
Wright's film (which he conceived of in the mid 1990's apparently) uses an eclectic soundtrack to create a world that contrasts fun music with bloody violence. The first few scenes quite literally feature Baby dancing down the streets, jamming to his music, mouthing the words as though he is stuck in a musical. Many of the characters ask if he's "retarded." We slowly come to understand that Baby is just one strange kid. Having survived a car accident as a child, he has found himself indebted to Doc despite his want for a clean career. Task by task, Baby pays off his debt, adding money to his pockets but dancing a dangerous line between success and death.
I'll be the first to admit that this film's first half didn't work for me. Elgort's performance in particular feels miscast. He plays a boy who's meant to be quiet, studious, intense, and yet he comes across as an actor trying to pander to a script that falls beyond his grasp. Elgort has been fine in other movies, but here is a fundamental skip on the part of the director. Those that do succeed are Kevin Spacey and Jamie Foxx. Foxx in particular plays a wildcard criminal who shoots people without a moment's pause and seems lost to the moral stakes at play. His is a performance that is fun, exciting - an actor at the height of his powers.
Where the beginning felt too forced as a concept, the ending concludes in a bank heist (actually it's at a post office) that builds and builds through action, chases, gunfire, blood, and broken glass... Without a moment to breathe the film whips by and adds to the chaos with each new moment. It's a riveting segment that ends not with the hero driving off into the sunset, but an extended sequence in which the justice system comes crashing down. Sobering as the finale is, I suspect many in the audience might still find moments to cheer.
In the end, the movie whittles down to a pulpy drama chock full of violence and interesting scenarios. Where other stories might become predictable, here I found myself guessing what would happen with each new scene. Not every aspect of this movie works (the romance especially between Debora and Baby was uninspiring to say the least), those parts that succeed hit it out of the park. As a piece of action, this packs a punch. It's stylish, colorful, loud, wonderfully-photographed and expertly paced. Though it's not the best the genre has to offer, boy is it a good time.
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