Motorsport's allure is all at once adrenaline-pumping, heroic in an old-fashioned sense, and slightly terrifying due to the inherent dangers involved, and it takes a special kind of individual to throw themselves into it. Looking to capitalize on the recent jump in popularity Formula 1 has received in recent years, Warner Bros' Joseph Kosinski-directed film named after the famed top division provides us such personas on display, accompanied by plenty of high-octane racing action, personal drama, clashing personalities, and a considerable bit of understated humor along the journey.
No, I can't say that this is the deepest or most profound movie ever made, in many ways it's all just an excuse for the FIA to show off how cool their racing is and their drivers and vehicles are. But regardless, thanks to the strong performances, simple but appealing narrative and intense visuals, I found myself invested in these characters a ton.
Quick question- has there ever been a game that was so hard you couldn't finish it, and you were constantly dying on one level, so you took a break from it? That's the dilemma ace racer Sonny Haes (Brad Pitt) is dealing with, even after a successful run at the 24 Hours of Daytona (in what's a damn thrilling sequence).
A vicious crash early in what he hoped to be his blossoming Formula 1 career has left him reluctant to return to the division- that is, until a down-on-his-luck team owner/former racing teammate (Javier Bardem) comes to Sonny in need of a second driver alongside the young and aggressive Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). As you might expect, sparks fly at first sight- not just between Sonny and Kate the tech director (Kerry Condon), but also between Hayes and Pearce as their opposing driving styles lead them to come into frequent conflict with each other.
Say what you will about Brad Pitt, at times it does come off like he's playing himself in many roles, but he gives Sonny Hayes such an affable self-confidence that it makes him difficult not to easily get behind. Idris lends his character a cocky but still sympathetic charisma, and even though you can already guess they're eventually going to become closer, their opposing approaches to racing technique and their generational gap have them at odds to start.
The filmmakers highlight well the contrast between Joshua's high-tech and modernized training facilities, and Sonny's more old-fashioned methods and tricks to gain an edge on the track. Kate does the best she can to get them to coexist, but the fellas eventually are able to teach the other new things.
If there's one thing I can call Kosinski's F1, it's "atmospheric." The cinematography from Claudio Miranda is equally as immersive and engaging as it was in Top Gun Maverick, making it feel as if you're really in the grandstands at the racetrack. Hans Zimmer was an apt choice for scoring the film, as his headbanging theme for the Las Vegas sequence in his Rain Man soundtrack was used for NASCAR's starting grid role calls for a couple of years, so he grants this film plenty of bass-heavy background grooves that fit the tension well throughout each contest.
Note that when I call this a "manly movie", I'm talking about manliness in the sense of brotherhood, not just aggressive machismo (although there is plenty of that too, and it all works well within the story progression). There's a sensitivity to the script and a willingness to explore personal fear and anxiety, to take a next step in hope of bettering one's self, just to say "I did it".
And yeah, I'm reading possibly way too much into what's just meant to be advertising for the racing league of said name, but sorry, I wound up caring way more about this band of misfits than I first predicted. Also, all-time wins leader Lewis Hamilton is here, and he doesn't have any character moments to speak of, but he doesn't need any, as just his and Charles LeClerc's mere presence allows them to serve in that "final boss" role.
Speaking as a long time Days Of Thunder and Talledega Nights fan, the NASCAR fan in me almost feels jealous as to how well F1 merges the thrills of its sport with a fun simple popcorn story that still has affection and warmth to it, especially given the recent NASCAR constroversies (there's no suuch thing as a perfect auto racing league, for the record.) All that aside, I'd gladly recommend F1 to just anyone who wants to see a fun action movie overall. I don't know if it's quite as epic as the 1966 Grand Prix movie, but I'd definitely say it's right up there with Ron Howard's underrated "Rush" from 2013.
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