Sometimes subtlety is the enemy of success. If the trailer is any indication, the Edgar Wright-directed film “Baby Driver” clearly understands this concept. Through its veritable A-team of Hollywood superstars, the movie seems intent on using the shock-and-awe strategy to separate American moviegoers from their precious box-office dollars.
Starring Ansel Elgort, Jon Hamm, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx and Lily James of “Downton Abbey” in all her doe-eyed glory, there’s enough award season bling between the cast members to make Meryl Streep blush.
Adding an interesting wrinkle to the main cast is Mexican singer Eiza González, whose main claim to fame in America until this point was being Calvin Harris’ post-Swiftpocalypse rebound. She was also in the painfully stultifying Netflix TV reboot of “From Dusk till Dawn,” but that’s hardly worth mentioning. González really doesn’t do much in the trailer, other than look malevolently attractive — probably an unfortunate indicator of her acting abilities in general.
Another notable aspect of the “Baby Driver” trailer is the sheer volume of threatening speeches from Kevin Spacey. One suspects Wright had just finished binge watching “House of Cards” — a show almost entirely made up of menacing Spacey soliloquies — before casting the actor in his film.
Conversely, Jamie Foxx’s appearance is heartening on two levels. Firstly, his presence guarantees the press tour for the movie will be much more entertaining. But more importantly, his role in “Baby Driver” means he hasn’t been able to produce more of his cancerously derivative brand of R&B music — an unequivocal win for American pop culture itself.
Moving on to middle-aged eye candy, Jon Hamm plays the trailer’s villain. This role will hopefully serve as a nice palette cleanser for the bitter taste Hamm’s role in “Keeping Up with the Joneses” left in viewers’ mouths. Hamm seems to return to several of the mannerisms that made him famous in “Mad Men.” These include speaking in a gravelly voice and having a slick haircut, although admittedly he’s sporting a hairdo in the trailer which looks a little more punk than advertising executive.
The pathologically photogenic leads of the “Baby Driver” trailer must be addressed — namely, Lily James and Ansel Elgort. Following his “The Fault in Our Stars” fame, Elgort’s lead role is just another indicator of his impending superstardom — assuming, of course, that his publicist can continue to distract America from his painfully embarrassing DJ career.
Meanwhile, James continues to prove that being on “Downton Abbey” typically means a bright and lucrative future in Hollywood.
Questionable career choices aside, both young actors ooze charm on screen, especially when paired together. This bodes well for a film that seems to be constructed around their chemistry, albeit within the framework of a heist movie.
Though the “Baby Driver” trailer is a lot to take in, judging by the impressive cast and the as-yet vague plotline, it seems safe to say that moviegoers will soon be acquiescing to their big studio overlords and swarming theaters en masse to see this film. “Baby Driver” will be released Aug. 11.
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