The Fault In Our Cars.
113 Mins. Starring: Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Jon Hamm, Jon Bernthal, Eiza Gonzalez, Sky Ferreira, Flea, Jamie Foxx & Kevin Spacey. Director: Edgar Wright.
Tinnitus may be this kids problem, but humdrum this is anything but. As baby, baby, 'Baby Driver' sees Ansel Elgort playing escort for crime in the City of ATLiens. But this time 'The Fault In Our Stars' leading man is the real star here, no shotgun ride. Even with big names like Foxx and Jon (Hamm and Bernthal) buckling in passenger and Kevin Spacey himself stacking this house of con cards. And it's all topped off by ice cream in the Summer cool, 'Cornetto Trilogy' director Edgar Wright. The Great Brit behind 'Shaun Of The Dead', 'Hot Fuzz', 'The Worlds End' and half of Marvel's 'Ant-Man'. 'Baby Driver' has so much fast and furious fuel under the hood as this modern 'Italian Job' like drive will have you in 60 seconds as it blows more than the bloody doors off. And on a 'Divergent' path from his teeny bopping beginnings, tuned into a moms soundtrack slicker than a 'Guardians' volume, Ansel like a speed demon is gone in less than a minute from the fuzz, as he hot wheels his wired getaway car through all sorts of chicanes like Hollywood's best stunt driver. Pulling the handbreak for the best twist and turn through a narrow one way street you've ever seen between Steve McQueen's 'Bullitt' and the 'French Connection'. Flooring it and us with his pedal to the metal, the only thing stopping this young, charismatic Prince Charming from putting his foot down in his carriage is a glass slipper 'Cinderella'. Ba da bing. Va va voom baby!
Wright has picked the right man for the job in Ansel. 'Transformer's', 'The Mummy', 'Wonder Woman', 'Baywatch', 'Pirates Of The Caribbean', 'King Arthur', 'Alien', 'Guardians Of The Galaxy', 'The Fate Of The Furious'. Edgar and Elgort run everything else in this scorching summer season of big blockbusters off the road. And it's in it's own no sequel and reboot-less lane as the sole, pole original idea this year too. Sorry to rain on 'Spider-Man's' 'Homecoming' parade and the 'War For The Planet Of The Apes', but this s### is bananas without a code word. Just imagine how giant and epic Edgar would have made the astonishing 'Ant-Man' if his direction wasn't shrunk down to Marvel size. You'll have a need for speed no more as Wright takes you through more left turns and gear shifts in the A of Atlanta than a 'Midnight Club' ATL edition video game, with some stunt and camera work that will spike you to the cops come knocking. With some of the craziest worlds wildest police chases even Sheriff John Bunnell has ever seen. And even this veteran officer of the law would run out of one-liners for this burning rubber. 'Those police officers thought they could catch up with this kid...now the only thing this force will be copping is more paperwork than this student driver has homework'. Ansel could even make the Diesel of the Vin variety look unleaded in this race wars of 10 second cars, straight candy coloured out your cereal box. Track for track, whether tarmac or tape deck, spinning viynl or wheels of steel. This musical film from the gaming director of 'Scott Pilgrim vs The World' drowns everything else out to deaf. As no matter how much Baby Groot dances to those Galaxy volumes. This awesome mix of Queen, R.E.M. and The Commodores on the buds of this dudes iPod is 160gb classic. It's all the music you need folks. An iPod purists dream in a Spotify day. To think when this writer went to a New York Knicks game in The Garden last year the M.S.G booed this kid decked out in blue, white and orange when he appeared on the jumbotron like he was departed owner Phil Jackson...but you know what Madison Square Garden is like. Because I see no fault in this young star. Just imagine where this young, 23 year old, Hollywood hearthrob poster boy will be in 10 or 20 DiCaprio years. All set off from here, driving and dancing his way through this nitrus injection on full volume with the zest of a 25 or younger life as he looks after his Uncle Drew looking, lovable foster parent. Tapping his way thorough a one shot Georgia street like Gene Kelly going for coffee on a sunny day, with piano on his air playing mind like Ray Charles in shades that match the crooners. Shuffling his feet like a click wheel in perfect rhythm, like between clutch and break. This driver and his sat nav direction know how to choreograph freeway moves that will leave more cars gridlocked than the opening number of 'La La Land'.
Baby may be his cute name in this film that sounds like a Vin Diesel like 'Pacifier' school-run kids movie (but is about to become legendary), but babys B.A.B.Y. is none other than 'Cinderella' herself, Lily James. And going from 'Downtown Abbey' regalia, to the ball, to a classic American diner waitress uniform, Lily blooms at Jonath...we mean Deborah as the name tag tells us. Offering Baby another cup of Joe and that 'Thunder Road', Bruce Springsteen American dream of driving all night until they reach Atlantic City or a tenth avenue freeze out. But there's a lot standing in these baby's way. From Kevin Spacey's parking permit looking mob-boss Doc. Perscribing more highway to hell, no light at the end of the tunnel in site routes to his wheelman than 66. Or his A-list hired goons. A punishing Jon Bernthal decked out in 'Jersey Shore' douche-baggery bedazzled clothing, albeit armed with one of the best lines in the movie. Or serious funnyman Jamie Foxx's bat-s### crazy Bats character man. Another role that shows just how versatile and villanious this actor/singer and comedian can really get. And lets not forget our real Bonnie and Clyde for this Romeo and Juliet with a truly mad man in Jon Hamm and his 'Dusk Till Dawn' T.V. series girlfriend Eiza Gonzalez. Completing a cast so car-pool full there's even room for some more music on the car radio in the form of Sky Ferreira's motherly, Lionel Richie covering character that's easy like sunday morning. To back like 'The Big Lebowski' was yesterday, Red Hot Chilli Pepper crazy Flea with the itchingly good cameo. Lets hope crime capering isn't the only time Foxx and Flea collaborate down the bassline. Reel to reel this movie truly has it all for petrol tank and speaker box junkies...and even those who get their Mike Myers' confused. Like the opening car carnage set that will leave you in pieces. Or the rest of the movie that gives chase. As the needle drops for the record and the speedometer flickers to life for this Elgort vehicle, from empty to full you won't want this ride to let up. From driving under more trucks than Toretto's jacking gang, to parking lot space stealers that body more people than the bags in the trunk of Jamie Foxx's 'Sleepless' R.I.P. last call, fateful finale scene. Now stop, look, listen and don't let this get away as this driver really takes you places baby. I hope you're wearing your seatbelt. In Elgort's cool cruising days of thunder, these cannonball run bandits are smoking. What a rush baby! TIM DAVID HARVEY.
See This If You Liked: 'Drive', 'The Italian Job (2003)', 'Gone In 60 Seconds'.
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