F1 does not re-invent a sports movie and goes around a very familiar track indeed, but it has all the right stuff for a solid blockbuster and an exhilarating cinematic ride.
I absolutely love the immersive IMAX experience with its giant screen and wall of sound, but it’s fair to say that, in more recent years, I visited our local Melbourne IMAX more for the sake of older movies than new releases. The latest batch of big Hollywood summer movies did not look especially enticing either, save for this Brad Pitt sports drama directed by Joseph Kosinski, who did a stellar job with Top Gun: Maverick. Though F1 is unlikely to reach the same cultural phenomenon status and box office heights, it’s another pleasantly old-fashioned throwback to the blockbusters of decades past, driven by big-budget spectacle, testosterone and star power.
The story doesn’t stray far beyond the conventions of sports drama. Our hero Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt, aged like fine wine) was once a bright new star of the racing world, before flaming out in a horrific crash on the circuit. Decades later, he’s a racing nomad for hire, never staying with the same team full-time. That is until his old friend Rubén, played by Javier Bardem, makes Sonny an offer he can’t refuse. Rubén is the owner of the worst F1 team in sport, with a shitbox of a car and a talented but inexperienced young driver, Joshua (Damson Idris). His investors are out of patience and will sell the team unless they bag a Grand Prix win before the season’s end.
Sonny accepts the offer, to the obvious displeasure of Rubén’s team who are not exactly thrilled to have him onboard. Brash and cocky Joshua is especially contemptuous of having a geriatric never-was around telling him what to do. There follows a very familiar rollercoaster of interpersonal tensions, wins and setbacks, where a wise veteran gets to coach an arrogant newbie and maybe learn a few things about being a team player in return. Sonny’s flirtatious dynamic with the team’s technical director Kate (Kerry Condon), is likewise nothing you haven’t seen million times before.
As it often happens, it’s entirely up to the talented cast to elevate the predictable story beats. Brad Pitt, one of the last true movie stars left in this era of IP, carries the film like the seasoned pro he is, with his effortless, relaxed charisma and a touch of world-weariness. By the end of it all, I was fully invested in Sonny’s last chance at glory. Pitt and Bardem have an instantly believable, lived-in chemistry of old buddies, and in fact there’s great energy and sparks flying between all members of the ensemble. It was lovely to see Kerry Condon (who gets to keep her charming Irish accent) and Kim Bodnia (who I loved in the first two seasons of The Bridge) in a big production like this.
But of course it’s the visceral and exciting racing sequences that ultimately make F1 an adrenaline rush and a worthwhile trip to the IMAX. Speaking as someone with zero interest in motor racing, I was kept on the edge of my seat as the filmmakers at times almost literally put you into the driver’s spot. Real aficionados might scoff at the amount of explaining provided in the movie by the commentators, but I appreciated this effort to make the intricacies and strategies of the sport accessible to the F1 dummies like myself. Together with the glamorous international locations, incredible sound design and heart-pumping soundtrack (including a banging main theme from Hans Zimmer), the racing action left me on a natural high.
Though it never outstays its welcome, I did at one point become aware of the movie’s runtime, and feel like I was ready for the story to progress to that all-important final race. That aside, F1 was easily the best blockbuster experience I had at the cinema since last year’s Dune: Part Two.
yggdrasille.com 