F1 THE MOVIE Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Stars: Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Sarah Niles, Tobias McKenzie, Will Merrick, Shea Whigham, Samson Kayo, Callie Cook, Joseph Balderrama, Luciano Bacheta.
Formula One racing is the most popular and most watched sport in the world, and this lavish, big budget and spectacularly packaged Hollywood production gives audiences a thrilling adrenaline-charged look at this exciting sport.
Former F1 driver Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) walked away from the sport thirty years ago following a crash that almost killed him. Since then he has been living off the grid, sleeping in his battered old van and drifting across the country picking up paid gigs racing in a variety of motorsports. He feels the need for speed and is addicted to the adrenaline rush of car racing. He has gambled away most of his earnings. When we first meet Sonny (who has been dubbed “the greatest that never was”) he has just won the Daytona 500 with his usual brash, cavalier approach and fierce determination to compete.
He is approached by Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), his former F1 teammate. Ruben now owns his own struggling and underperforming F1 racing team APXGP. They have not managed a top 10 finish in three years and Ruben is now in danger of losing control of his team as board members are keen to push him aside. With just nine races left in the current season, Ruben desperately needs a podium finish to retain control of his team. He has a lead driver in the rookie Joshia Pearce (Damson Idris, from The Commuter, etc), a talented driver but he has been unable to break through for a victory. Ruben brings Sonny aboard to challenge Pearce and to train him to become more aggressive. Pearce is basically a younger version of Hayes – hot headed, brash, arrogant, unwilling to listen and be part of a team – so it is inevitable that the two clash repeatedly while trying to find a winning formula. The film climaxes at the season ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with the fictional tale here replicating the real-life events of that memorable 2021 race.
F1 has been technically well directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, etc) who has aimed to capture this world of Formula One racing with attention to detail. He and his production team have aimed for authenticity, and this is an immersive experience that deserves to be seen on the big screen. Rather than rely on an overuse of CGI and special effects, Kosinski opts for practical effects where possible. And supposedly Pitt and Idris did as much of their own driving as possible, which further adds to this air of authenticity.
The script from writer Ehren Kruger (Top Gun: Maverick, etc) captures the excitement of this world and gives us insights into what goes on behind the scene and off the track – the planning, the strategy meetings, the design of the cars, and even the politics of the sport. With former seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton on board as one of the executive producers, his input and support was probably instrumental in granting the filmmakers access to the world of Formula One. Many of the race scenes themselves were shot on location at various races throughout the season, and many drivers contribute cameo appearances, all of which adds to the authenticity of the film.
F1 looks superb. Kosinski’s regular cinematographer Claudio Miranda (Top Gun: Maverick, etc) brings the exotic location to life. He strategically uses his cameras to capture the excitement of the races, even placing cameras inside cars to give audiences some POV shots of the races.
Hans Zimmer contributes a driving and propulsive score which adds to the excitement. And the film features a great rock soundtrack that features Led Zeppelin, Queen and AC/DC.
Kosinksi also draws top performances from his stellar cast. Pitt has been a bona fide star for over thirty years, but he still has charisma to spare, and he brings a rugged, world-weary quality to his performance as Sonny. Bardem brings charm to his role as Ruben, while Idris has a strong presence as the upstart Pearce. Pitt and Idris provide plenty of spark and develop a prickly chemistry that adds tension to the material. Kerry Condon does well as Kate Mckenna, the technical director of Ruben’s team, a woman in this male dominated world who has to work hard to prove herself. Ultimately though she serves as a love interest for Pitt’s character. Sarah Niles (from the tv series Ted Lasso, etc) registers strongly with her performance as Pearce’s concerned and supportive mother Bernadette. And Tobias Menzies is perfectly oily as board member Peter Benning who is trying to force Cervantes out by undermining him and sabotaging his efforts.
The film captures the adrenaline rush and excitement, glamour, noise and colour of the world of Formula One racing. While not quite in the same league as the superb Ford V Ferrari, F1 is certainly a much more enjoyable and technically superior film to the 2013 car racing film Rush, which starred Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl as rival race drivers. It delivers plenty of white-knuckle car action as well as a compelling story set against the backdrop of the world of Formula One racing. Rev heads and racing afficionados will certainly enjoy the film, but it does have broad appeal especially due to the presence of the charismatic Pitt in the lead.
F1 may be a fairly cliched and formulaic sports underdog story, but this variation on the classic archetype of the comeback story is a genuine crowd pleaser that engages the audience.
★★★☆ –
