Film: 'Baby Driver'

This is a film like no other that I've seen - and I'm saying that in a positive sense. Most of the film is shot to synchronise with the music that the title character continuously listens to through his ear plug-ins (which he plays to drown out the non-stop noise he hears due to a hearing disability) - and it's not all heavy rock; in fact little of it is, some tracks being quite unexpected. However, although the sound level where I saw the film was not at the pain threshold I did wish I'd had something to plug my own ears somewhat and take it down a level. But the soundtrack does give the film a terrific non-stop energy which is exploited to the full in sharp visual editing - and this is coupled with an intelligent, sassy script. 

Ansel Elgort (who was male lead in 'The Fault in Our Stars' of 2014) is the 'Baby' of the title who is 'employed' by smarmy crime boss and mastermind Kevin Spacey (menacingly unruffle-able) to do the driving for him as the sole permanent fourth member of a crime quartet who are assigned to carry out bank robberies.  He's the standing member because Spacey has faith in him as he's never let him down and regards Baby as his 'lucky charm'. Others in the gang of varying membership include Jamie Foxx and John Hamm. Baby Driver's involvement in these violent capers (invariably with shootings and deaths) makes him increasingly reluctant to continue, especially when he meets fast-food waitress Debora (Lily James) with whom he wishes to strike up a relationship, but Spacey won't let him go, complete with threats.  

One relatively minor reservation I had was that I could have done without the epilogue. It's not long but it plays like a needless attempt to wrap things up neatly when a more effective ending in my view would have been just to cut the film off as soon as we're shown what's going to happen, which would have been more in character with the body of the film.

British director Edgar Wright, best known for his Simon Pegg/Nick Frost 'Cornetto' trilogy ('Shaun of the Dead', 'Hot Fuzz' and 'The End of the World' - each of which I think stands up to repeated viewings) certainly pulls out all the stops for this film, directing sure-footedly with enormous gusto and originality.

I hadn't realised until just now that most of the film was shot in New Orleans, though the location isn't betrayed, and nor is it important to know.

This gets my sure recommendation and I can practically guarantee that most of you will be carried along for a heady two-hour pleasure ride. Great fun..................7.5.