Baby Driver


How do you explain the genius of Baby Driver? Well, it’s as easy as pi. Although we love pie here at FC HQ, we are indeed talking about the mathematical constant, π. Edgar Wright made a movie based on the steering wheel and the iPod click wheel and the steady interplay of these two familiar circles delivers a cinematic masterpiece.

Wright develops music as a character. It’s the beat of the film. The sounds of Queen are as important to the film as Doc (Spacey), Bats (Foxx) and Buddy (Hamm); each of whom are spectacular. Baby (Elgort) needs music to feel himself amongst these criminals and this manifests into incredible driving moxie.

The interaction and adoration between Baby and his deaf foster father, Joe (Jones), is wonderfully played throughout and their communication grounds the film. Deborah (James), with her siren-like voice and southern charm, gives Baby someone else to care about. Their toe-tapping and ear bud-sharing amongst the counterclockwise turning colors in the laundromat is a moment to savor.

Baby Driver spins the record of the Film Clas Elite, overcoming a mild, but required, deduction for casting a Red Hot Chili Pepper to heist 4.89 napkins out of 5.

Wonder Woman


Wonder Woman crashes through the glass ceiling of comic book films. And, in the name of Lynda Carter, delivers the most entertaining superhero film since Peter Parker was first nibbled by a spider.

The Amazon’s isolated and idyllic life on Themyscira is infiltrated by an air force pilot, Steve, who crashes while fleeing from the Germans after stealing the vital notebook of Dr. Maru. Diana, innocent, compassionate and passionate, believes in a people, whom she has never known, with such certainty that she will risk everything to save them, firstly Steve. This fascinating interaction of three different worlds (Human, Greek mythology, DC Comics) is where the strength of the film lies. It’s beautifully complementary.

Dr. Maru (Anaya) is one of the more sinister characters to cross the screen, both in intent and villainy persona. Steve (Pine) does well with magnetic charm, a slight outlaw riskiness and some every man clunkiness. And Diana (Gadot) falls into the complexities of the character as her humanity and deity coincide.

Behind the gratifying popcornality of the film, we missed a little campiness and we know slow motion is unnecessary in action sequences. But, truth be told, Wonder Woman still lassos 4.47 napkins out of 5.