QUICK TAKES: Baby Driver, Okja, and Band Aid

Baby Driver

Courtesy of Sony

(Rated R for violence and language throughout. Now playing.)

The cast: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Eiza Gonzalez, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx.

What it’s about: A young getaway driver (Elgort), who constantly listens to music to mask a childhood ear injury, sees his chance to leave the criminal life behind when he meets a kind, beautiful waitress (James). However, after he’s forced into the proverbial “one last job” by a menacing crime boss (Spacey), he must outwit his cohorts (Foxx, Hamm and Gonzalez) if he’s going to make a clean break.

The good: Writer-director Edgar Wright is one of my favorite filmmakers, so I’m ecstatic that he’s back after a lengthy absence. Baby Driver’s nonstop kinetic energy proves he’s been raring to go since creative differences with Marvel forced him to walk away from Ant-Man. All that stifled creativity explodes here in a perfect combination of cool characters, tense action sequences, incredible car chases and a killer soundtrack.

Everyone in the cast is fantastic. Before this, I’d only seen Elgort as a teen heartthrob in the soapy The Fault in Our Stars, so his quiet, assured work as an action hero was a pleasant surprise. He even pulls off a convincing Southern accent, which is always a nice bonus. Spacey seems to be loving every moment he’s on screen and Foxx is genuinely menacing. I was also thrilled to see Hamm – mostly known for playing handsome jerks – branch out a little to portray someone who’s mostly likeable.

Finally, it’s a blast to see a movie filmed in Atlanta actually take place there. Most of the time, the city stands in for another location, so it was fun to see well-known landmarks on the big screen and hear characters accurately name-drop familiar locations like Spaghetti Junction. I can’t wait to see this one again on the big screen.

The not-so-good: Baby Driver is poppy summer fun, but it’s a minor work in Wright’s filmography (which also includes Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World). Even that slight criticism is still a massive compliment; if a new director had made this, I’d be hailing the arrival of a revolutionary voice in cinema. It’s the power of massive expectations, I suppose.

Grade: A-


Okja

Courtesy of Netflix

(Rated TV-MA for strong language and thematic elements. Now streaming on Netflix.)

The cast: An Seo Hyun, Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Jake Gyllenhaal and Lily Collins.

What it’s about: An image-obsessed CEO (Swinton) announces the creation of a genetically engineered pig-like animal designed to feed starving people all over the world. She has devised a contest in which different farmers around the globe will spend 10 years raising these creatures, and then the Mirando Corporation will announce which is the best in a high-profile ceremony. When young Mija (An Seo Hyun) learns that her beloved Okja has “won” the contest – essentially a ruse to corral the business’ property to their New York City slaughterhouse – she revolts, putting her in the sights of a furious corporation, a crazed TV zoologist (Gyllenhaal) and goofy but well-meaning animal rights activists (including Dano and Collins).

The good: Writer-director Bong Joon Ho was responsible for the dystopian nightmare Snowpiercer, so I’m excited that his latest – another allegory about the dangers of corporate excess – is just as complex and bonkers. Okja reminded me of E.T. for much of its running time, but things get way darker in the third act when the filmmaker decides to hammer his main point home in heartbreaking, graphic detail.

It helps that Okja is a stunning visual effects creation that interacts seamlessly with the human performers and makes viewers fall in love almost immediately. Speaking of the actors, they’re all strong in diverse ways, often seeming to be in vastly different movies. An Seo Hyun delivers naturalistic work and is straightforward in depicting her character’s motives, while Swinton is delightfully animated in a role that’s more complicated than it initially appears.

Dano gets the rare chance to play a good guy, which suits him nicely. However, Gyllenhaal is the one people won’t be able to stop talking about. He makes some bizarre choices, and holy cow does he commit to them.

The not-so-good: Considering Okja feels like a warped fairy tale for most of its running time, the movie contains a shocking number of f-bombs (especially whenever Gyllenhaal is onscreen). I’m by no means a prude, but it feels unnecessary and limits the film’s audience. My wife, who watched Okja with me, remarked it would be a perfect fit for her high school science class if it wasn’t for the strong language.

Grade: B+

Band Aid

Courtesy of IFC Films

(Not rated, but contains strong language, sexuality, nudity, drug use and thematic elements. Now available On Demand and opening soon at Landmark Midtown Art in Atlanta.)

The cast: Zoe Lister-Jones, Adam Pally, Fred Armisen, Retta and Susie Essman.

What it’s about: Anna (Lister-Jones) and Ben (Pally) can’t stop fighting, which is taking a devastating toll on their marriage. After their defeated therapist (Retta) suggests finding an unconventional method to save their relationship, Anna comes up with the idea to turn their arguments into songs. Although it feels silly at first, the plan is surprisingly adept at helping them resolve their conflicts. Things begin to look up even more after their bizarre neighbor Dave (Armisen) agrees to play drums and their open mics attract the attention of a curious music producer.

The good: I absolutely adored “Band Aid.” It’s one of my favorite movies of the year so far. The romantic comedy genre has been in a slump for several years now, but movies like this one (even though things take a serious turn in the final third) prove they can still be winning entertainment.

Lister-Jones (who also wrote and directed) is a genius of deadpan and demonstrates incredible chemistry with co-star Pally, who excels at sarcasm. They bounce off each other nicely during the fun bickering of the first half, but they also prove capable of handling the dramatic scenes that make up the film’s climax. “SNL” vet Armisen is an entertaining wild card and their jam sessions feel dynamic and natural, rather than forced.

The not-so-good: The film’s sudden tonal shifts, improv-heavy humor and indie sensibility might be off-putting for some. It’s definitely a “your mileage may very” kind of flick, but it’s right in my wheelhouse.

Grade: A-