Reviews

So there's a lot of people eager to hate on this movie simply due to the nature of the story. While I admit this isn't a great film it's certainly not as bad as people are making it seem. The filmmaking is pretty solid, some shots look good. The acting is okay and overall the production was alright given its low budget.

Where the story does lose some traction is in how on the nose the story is. With that being said it draws inspiration of true events. So in other words if it looks ridiculous how do you think the individuals the film draws influence from look? So I will admit from a filmmaking aspect this isn't a great movie. But I have seen worse this year.

Ive been waiting for this film for a while and man, I have to say I was not disappointed at all. The performances are phenomenal, especially from Daniel Kaluuya. I challenge you to look up a clip of Fred Hampton, watch the film, and then spot out a moment where Kaluuya's demeanor, mannerisms and voice weren't akin to Hamptons. Lakeith Stanfield is also really great. While I understand Daniel Kaluuya's Fred Hampton is the central character of the film, Stansfield's performance and character William O'Neal, helps drive the movie. He convincingly plays a man who's drowned in the cynicism of being black during the 1960's. In addition to the performances, the entire film is crafted extremely well from the costume design and music to the cinematography. Especially as the film concludes, there are scenes directed and shot so well, they will stick with viewers long after watching.

I really had to force myself to think of something negative here. One thing I wish however, is that certain female characters were written with a little more depth. For example, Dominique Fishback is stellar as Hamptons significant other, but I feel like she could have been utilized a bit more. Some may also have a problem with the story focusing on O'Neal just as much as Hampton. I also felt some of the prosthetics, particularly in the case of J Edgar Hoover were a little distracting as well.

Overall, its rare in which almost every aspect of a film is remarkable, and this is exactly that. I see many Oscar nominations in its future with Stanfield getting a best supporting actor nod. As for Kaluuya, there is no doubt in my mind he will win Best Actor. Aside from what the film achieves technically, it offers an inside look into one of the most misconstrued political movements of our time. It's as informative as it is emotional. Regardless how hard aspects of it may be to watch, I encourage you to do so.

The films a solid 8.5, but will give a 9 on here just to even out all the negativity from people who havent even seen it.

Dell, a newly released convict in need of work, has his life changed after being hired to take care of an extremely wealthy quadriplegic.

So basically, 2019 officially has it's first hit. What I enjoyed about this is how it perfectly blends comedy and drama in a realistic way. One thing I enjoyed about The Upside is how likeable, but more importantly, honest and lifelike the characters felt like. People have their own preferences to what makes a great film and to me this is something I truly appreciate. My favorite thing would have to go to the performances of the lead cast. We know Bryan Cranston and Nicole Kidman are dramatically talented but kevin Hart deserves major praise for achieving a level that stands out amongst them. The chemistry between Hart and Cranston felt natural and only rivaled each other on who could be more likeable. Bryan Cranston deserves a lot of credit too, as I imagine portraying someone who could only move neck up, was quite the challenge. Lastly, I was surprisingly impressed with the cinematography as it was cleanly done and produced some truthfully spectacular looking shots.

Now while I enjoyed the film, a lot of its conflicts did feel a little forced at times, however, this may be how it went in real life. I also think that some will make an argument that this film did not need to exist altogether. The original French film, The Intouchables, is already held in high regard and may even be better. Overall, I didn't have many real issues with this film other than these nitpicks.

So I'll just come out and say it, I really enjoyed this film. I dont think it's perfect, and it may not be as good as the original, but that doesnt mean this isn't a great movie. I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did and I would go as far as to say this is Kevin Harts best performance, and movie to date. I think those who are just watching this for the comedy of Kevin Hart wont be dissapointed, but that's just one of this films many strengths.

When it comes to the art, there are few filmmakers who create and perfect their own signature brand. Tarantino, Scorsese, Kuebrick and many others all share distinct characteristics that make there films recognizable to those serious about cinema. The men listed above are all Master Class in my opinion and dare I say Edgar Wright is on his way to joining them?

Summary

Baby Driver follows a young man who goes by the name "Baby" (Elgort) who is what the title suggests, a Driver and a damn good one. His talents led him to becoming the prized getaway driver for a group of criminals. With his heart not aligned with the lifestyle and actions of his co workers he seeks a new start, especially after becoming interested in a girl. It is until he finds himself ready to abandon the life he finds out how intertwined he really is.

Review

Pros Referencing back to the intro, the first 6 minutes of this film shows why Wright is in a class only a few are in. The scene uses its soundtrack to act as choreography, every snare hit and kick means something and are perfectly timed to the world our characters are in. We the audience soon realize that music is more than just a soundtrack in this film, but provides an arc for our characters, especially Baby. We learn a lot about him based solely off of the music being played, which is unlike anything I have seen at this level. We then proceed to a long tracking shot of Baby navigating to a coffee shop, which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful shots of 2017. I never thought Watching someone get coffee would be this entertaining. Wright does a good job from the start of putting us into this kids world while simultaneously showing us why he doesn't belong in it. The casting choices were all good and added different elements to the story. Baby was the only one tied to music physically through his iPod, but each character was choreographed as if they were listening too. The action was shot really well especially the getaway scenes, both on foot and in the car. The car chase scenes are pure brilliance making The Fast and The Furious movies look 2nd tier. Edgar truly kept me engaged and I never felt cheated in any scene.

Cons

Much of the film focused on visuals to the point where I felt some characters were a tad bit flat. Subtracting Baby and Doc (Kevin Spacy), I felt the others could have had a little more substance. Some of their decisions and actions felt somewhat robotic in my opinion. With that being said Buddy (Hamm) and Batts (Foxx) did shine in a couple of scenes due to them being quality actors. With this being said please understand that even this didn't ruin this movie due to them still being entertaining characters.

Lastly the only other minor issue I had was the romance. Although there was nothing wrong with the acting or chemistry between the characters, it was just a little difficult to believe or get invested in.

Conclusion/Grade

What makes Baby Driver great is that it is a unique experience and is visually stunning. Edgar Wright does a great job of blending action, suspense, romance and comedy making it one of the most enjoyable films of 2017.

8.1/10