In this one, it's definitely part of the story. And if you stop to consider...also a very very odd fantasy world we are living in, where a man can time his life to the soundtrack that he designates.
The story is about Baby (Ansel Elgort), a young man who fell across some hard times and becomes a wheel man for crime capers around Atlanta. His boss is a cruel and mysterious benefactor named Doc. He's a gangster of some kind and has a lot of interesting capers to which he has roped in Baby.
Along the way Baby meets Debora (Lily James) a sprite of a waitress who loves music as much as he does. They're instant chemistry leads her to jeopardize a lot of her life to spend music time with Baby.
Not to get into too much more of this, but director Edgar Wright has made a throwback movie that will linger, in terms of tone. It's bittersweet, sometimes funny, other times amazing but somehow flat. If you start to question motives, and dimension. For instance, we know much less about Debora or her life other than what she tells us. She is the Alabama Worley of "True Romance". You can't help but like her because she is so innocent, while the rest of the world is so cruel and ugly. Which is somewhat false. But let's be honest, this is a fable of love found. But what is the message? Caper movie, crime movie, love story? Okay, all the above, and for that I give MASSIVE credit. But is it okay to leave out a ton of logic. As in...who knew the kid could do certain stunts we find out he can later? OR that part where he could outrun, outwalk, and...well out everything an army of police...is this the White privilege people are talking about. A lesser movie like "Hot Pursuit" was murdered over it.
But here we are in 2017, where visceral action trumps anything logical (thanks "Fast and Furious"). And so...this is fun on the surface level but leaves you really flat at the end. Worth the price of a matinee.
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