‘I’ ON CULTURE
There is a kind of formula that often works in sports movies, and the new movie F1 fits it perfectly. It works as a kind of adventure, a war mission or a sports event. An old timer wants to go on, and you get a cocky kid involved. They clash, but come together at the end. It has worked since we’ve had movies. I mean, think Luke and Han Solo. Or, well, I could fill up a page listing examples. But in this movie, it’s all about racing cars. Very fast cars. They are the real stars of the movie — and they are spectacular. F1 racing, Formula 1, are the best of the race cars, and they are really shown off in the film.
It begins at the famous 24 hours at Daytona, as cars whiz through. We have Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a slightly over-the-hill F1 driver who was once considered a possible great star but has gone downhill for years after some nasty injuries. His best buddy Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) leads a squad with a cocky new kid, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), a driver from London with huge potential, but who needs a big victory in one of nine Grand Prix events to prevent a hostile takeover of his squad and car. And the bad guys are around and willing to play dirty.
Of course, the leads go through the basic “meet cute.” Hayes finds out that seven drivers had already turned down the chance to work with Cervantes. The kid feels he had to be tough and beat everyone else on the team because he fears being replaced. At first, Hayes struggles with the modern F1 tech, but figures out the weaknesses and joins the team.
Hayes goes old school, crashing into other drivers, which allows Pearce to at least get some points. And, of course, they begin to cooperate but run into conflict. The kid takes too many chances and gets hurt, Hayes replaces him, and they are back to quarreling. We then have skullduggery and betrayals and all sorts of plot twists to eventually get to the expected ending.
The acting is very good. Pitt is, as usual, tough, laid back, with his tremendous star power. His character knows he is at the end of his career, one that has never gotten as far as it might. Bardem is, also as usual, somewhat over the top in his performance, providing a real contrast with Pitt. He is the emotional core of the film. He desperately needs a victory to stave off disaster. He is the spark that pushes all of the action.
Idris is the real find. He is charismatic enough to match the two veterans, and the chemistry between the leads is explosive. Idris manages to be cocky and tough, but he is also able to find an emotional core that is very winning.
Kerry Condon is good as Kate, Sonny’s love interest. I liked the fact she was not only the love interest but the technical specialist on the team. She was not just an appendage to get in a love scene or two, but a real contributor.
But the action, not the plot twists, is what carries this film. Yes, there’s testosterone-fueled banter, along with better-than-usual performances.
But the action is on the track. Director Joseph Kosinski, whose last film was Top Gun: Maverick, has the audience holding its breath throughout. The racing is the highlight of the film. Sir Lewis Hamilton, one of the great F1 drivers, served as a technical advisor, and it shows. A group of top professional racers worked in the film, and the attention to detail really counts. Kosinski worked with the teams to bring the action, not only on the track but in the pit. Add to the mix genius cinematographer Claudio Miranda (who collaborated with Kosinski on Top Gun: Maverick), and a really good score by Hans Zimmer, and the racing scenes really grab you.
The film, at about two and a half hours, actually moves very fast. And while the basic plot is one we have seen quite often, the action is really top of the line.
Should you go see it? If you love auto racing, the answer is a very definite yes. Even if not, this is a quality film. With good acting and, as mentioned above, really great racing action, this is a strong summer movie.
