Ali Brings it On Home

Opening Act:

Welcome to Opening Act, a breakdown and analysis of the greatest opening scenes in film history. Today a look at the opening minutes of Michael Mann's 2001 biopic, Ali, starring Will Smith as the legendary Muhammad Ali (formerly Cassius Clay). Will Smith gives the performance of a lifetime, channeling The Greatest from his upset of Sonny Liston through his political activism and and Rumble in the Jungle against George Foreman. The opening third of the movie is an absolute masterpiece and the opening scene is a big reason why. Mann sets up his entire movie with a nearly nine minute montage set to a cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring it On Home to Me"

Theatrical Experience - B-A-B-Y Baby Edition - Baby Driver

Baby Driver

Director - Edgar Wright

Writer - Edgar Wright

Starring - Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, Lily James

Edgar Wright has retired the car chase movie for his work here simply cannot be topped. Wright and company craft absolutely thrilling car chases completely choreographed to the songs Baby (Elgort) cues up on his iPod in a dazzling display of craftsmanship. Baby Driver opens on a heist and chase scene set to "Bellbottoms" by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion setting the bar for the action to come over the next 100 minutes. And oh boy does it ever clear that bar with each subsequent chase. The action largely comes sparingly in the first two-thirds, occurring only when the story dictates they happen, before the large multi-faceted chase involving seemingly every character that takes the entire final third of the film.