Review of an F1 movie

Cast: Kim Bodnia, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Javier Bardem, Sarah Niles, Callie Cooke, Damon Idris, and Brad Pitt

Joseph Kosinski is the director.

Rating: 3.5 stars

What distinguishes a great movie from a merely decent one? Is everything that makes it an artwork included? A well-written script, excellent pacing, outstanding acting, and all the technical features. Or does it simply make you laugh despite adhering to the tropes and templates that purists despise? The IMAX-sized version of Drive To Survive, directed by Joseph Kosinski, falls somewhere in between (raises sarcasm sign). The movie F1 is enjoyable. The film combines the finest elements of Top Gun and Rush into a single experience on the big screen. However, it adheres to the cliches to the letter and is also highly templated and predictable. However, the entire encounter never seems worn out or jaded. This ancient wine is packaged in a brand-new, gleaming bottle. And it's going to be a huge help in making sales!

The idea

Brad Pitt plays the role of Sonny Hayes, a once-great race car driver who is now past his prime. As a promising rookie, he competed in Formula One in 1993 before an incident brought his career to a stop. He is now in his 50s, and he drives in whatever series he can find, no matter how minor, in his camper van. When he encounters Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), his ex-F1 teammate, his life changes. Sonny is now the owner of a failing F1 team called Apex, and for the rest of the season, he hopes to sign him as his second driver. Ruben thinks that Sonny's experience can help his rookie, Joshua Pearce (Damon Idris), do better. Ruben is aware that he will be compelled to sell the squad if they do not win a race this year, as the team has never scored a point in its Formula One history. Sonny, who is hesitant, enters with his wealth of experience. Before they can fantasize about the checkered flag, however, he must overcome his own inner demons and strike up a relationship with the hostile Joshua.

The movie's success

One of the simplest storylines in history belongs to Formula One. The underdog tale, the time-tested struggle against the odds and the regulations. It demonstrates how the least powerful squad in F1 uses every tool at its disposal, along with some savvy street sense, to compete on the track with the Ferraris and Red Bulls. You may predict the film's conclusion even before it begins. However, the excitement of Formula One lies in the inability to foretell what will happen next. As you are aware, the cheesy lines of conversation may occasionally be seen in advance. However, the true enjoyment lies in the trip itself and how Joseph Kosinski portrays it.

F1 is an experience that combines stunning photography with some thrilling racing action. The director has refined his passion for speed here, having honed his abilities filming fighter jets in Top Gun. The movie is full of jaw-dropping moments that elicit audible gasps. A sports movie doesn't have to accomplish much more than that. In the last few seconds, you hold your breath and watch the drama unfold, even if you know how it has to turn out. It is clear that a movie has connected with the audience if it can elicit raucous applause in one scene and complete silence in another.

Sonny Hayes was meant for Brad Pitt. Sonny's irreverent allure, laid-back openness, and swagger make him a cross between James Hunt and Mick Jagger, making him the stereotypical likable ass****. The cocky rookie is played with flair by Damon Idris, and Javier Bardem brings his unique combination of humor and insight to the role of the team leader. But Sarah Niles, who delivers the movie's standout moment in a confrontation with Brad Pitt's Sonny, is the only exceptional performer among the other cast members.

The hurdles

There has been a lot of discussion about how Formula One handles its female racers. The movie has three significant female roles. The other two, aside from Sarah Niles (who plays Joshua's mother), are members of the Apex GP team: Kate McKenna, the APXGP technical director (Kerry Condon), and Jodie, an APXGP mechanic (Callie Cooke). It's strange that, when telling the tale of a sport that notoriously excludes women, Formula One would choose to depict the female mechanic as an insecure, clumsy idiot. She does have a redemption arc, but was it excessive to not portray the sole female member of the crew as "out of place"?

In a similar vein, the movie begins with Kate as a self-assured woman, the first female technical director in Formula One, but by the end, she becomes the "romantic interest." Although she has more layers to her personality, the decisions Kosinski and screenwriter Ehren Kruger make for the women in F1 are perplexing.

One thing that F1 gets correct, which several racing teams get wrong, is this. All of motor racing is fundamentally a team activity. It is never about a single man overcoming the limitations of his vehicle and coming out on top. While it might be a fascinating tale, it is anything but realistic. Realism is what F1 excels at! It makes excellent use of the politics of F1 as well as the intricacies (and sometimes absurdities) of Formula One's rules and regulations. With Verstappen winning, women lusting after Sainz, and newbies crashing, the movie is as realistic as a Formula One film can be. Naturally, a speaker from the United States tells you right away that this is Hollywood and not real life.

Additionally, the movie prioritizes realism over heroics without losing any of the suspense. There is so much going on that will never occur on a Formula One circuit. However, this movie makes it believable. The warm and chilly camaraderie between Sonny and Joshua is essential to the entire situation, as it provides a realistic comparison of the teammates-but-rivals cliché. And F1 is known for its tropes.

So, is it a podium finish?

In my opinion, Rush is still the gold standard for movies about racing. The race between Ford and Ferrari is a close second, nearly a photo finish, in my opinion. The top position on the podium is never contested for by F1 in either of these two movies. However, it argues for itself as the most entertaining racing movie produced since Days of Thunder. The whole experience is unique because of the wisecracks, the cheesiness, and the incredibly beautiful racing.

The creation of F1 was challenging. With numerous F1 drivers and crew members making cameo appearances, it was filmed on real race weekends and actual circuits. Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen, Fernando Alsono, Toto Wolff, and Lewis Hamilton all show up. We observe actual crowds. That introduces realism without ever giving the impression that it's just a trick. Many films have attempted this by employing actual athletes, but none have ever managed to make it seem as genuine. Other producers will probably attempt to copy this if F1 is successful with the audience, possibly for other sports. At least in that aspect, however, it's likely that F1 will continue to be the gold standard for the foreseeable future.

Read Also: Panchayat Season 4 Review: Phulera’s Charm Fades Amid Political Intrigue and Predictable Plotlines

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