 Right out of the gates, I feel the need to reiterate that Jordan Peele's name is attached to this film as a producer, not as a director or writer. I say this because I went into this expecting something along the lines of Peele's other works, which I generally enjoy, but got something far more unusual that could never lend itself to a second viewing. Some would say that I'm just not a football fan of any sort, and they'd be right, but I can still enjoy a good football movie with a good story. This story was, in a word, just "weird".
Before I really get into it, though, the concept of a sports-based horror movie is unique. For that, I can give the film some points for originality. I'm sure they're out there, but I can't really think of any sports-based horror movies off the top of my head. Sports movies usually fall into the drama or comedy genre. So when I saw the trailer for this, it piqued my curiosity, especially with someone like Marlon Wayans returning to more serious acting, as seen in movies like 'Requiem for a Dream', despite knowing him better for his comedic performances. Here, we're introduced to Marlon Wayans' character, Isaiah White, a football "GOAT" ("Greatest of All Time"), through a dreamer kid named Cameron Cade (Austin Pulliam) watching Isaiah White's tapes. At the same time, his Dad, Cam Sr. (Don Benjamin), encourages him to become as good as the great Isaiah when he grows up. Sure enough, his Dad's encouragement, probable pressure and ultimate passing led him to become an ace as an adult (Tyriq Withers), and the fictional USFF (United States Football Federation) seeks him out. Pretending for a second that football is about as far as I'll ever get to understanding sports terms, etc, things will be pretty simplified here, but what it all boils down to is the encouragement from Cam's agent, Tom (Tim Heidecker), to pursue potentially filling the shoes of Cam's childhood hero, as Isiah White is considering retirement. Cam agrees to travel to a remote location to meet and train with White to ensure that he can be a worthy successor, and he's met with crazed fans who don't want him to replace White, seemingly led by a disturbed die-hard named Marjorie (Naomi Grossman). When things start, Cam's all for the idea of "all football, all the time" for a solid week of training. Still, he soon learns that to be a worthy replacement, things don't stop at heavy training; he will have to get a little deeper, a little weirder, a little more hardcore, and even a little more deadly. Not only are Cam's physical abilities tested here, but so are his mental skills, which don't simply boil down to different plays and strategies. To make matters worse, his brain is already a bit topsy-turvy after he suffered a fairly brutal concussion recently, with his head staples still holding things together. Getting into the criticisms first, the sheer fact of the matter is that this movie is just bizarre, and it's often easy to get lost in what's going on, especially when supernatural elements are introduced. By the end of it all, you kinda wonder what the hell they were smoking when they came up with this movie. It definitely falls under the category of "what the hell did I just watch?" and not even in a fun way. I get that there's some artsy symbolism here, but sometimes it hits you like a ton of bricks and leaves you confused. I know I was, but I did have my own takeaway, all the same. Points that I can give towards the movie go mostly to Wayans' acting (the guy can do serious) and, whether I liked the film or not, its overall originality. I can otherwise put in my own takeaway and say "I got it," but I also may very well not have gotten it at all. What I'm seeing throughout the film is the extremes to which someone will go to fill their hero's shoes. While some of those things are respectable, there are often dark things behind the scenes that no one talks about. On the other hand, this movie confused the living hell out of me, so take my "takeaway" lightly. 2/5
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 Where to begin with 'F1?' Unfortunately, this ended up being one of those movies that leaves me with not a whole lot to say, review-wise, despite enjoying it for what it is, which is a racing movie that follows a particular formula (no pun intended). You can, in many ways, go into this knowing that you've seen something just like it before, as far as the overall story goes. With that, I couldn't say the film's overall story particularly blew me away, as I could anticipate most of what was about to happen at every turn.
Take my observations lightly, however. Just because I can see specific outcomes before they happen with this does not mean it's in any way bad, or that I wouldn't recommend it. On the contrary, that's my only complaint about the movie, and as I like to say, it's very much a "me" thing. Truth be told, everything about this movie that impresses is what's aside from the main story, and before you conclude that that makes for something "bad," remember it happened with 'Avatar.' The box office returns for that particular flick speak for themselves. Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is a former Formula One racer, working as a racer for hire, following a terrible accident that significantly injured him during the 1993 Spanish Grand Prix, which ended his F1 career. He's approached one day by his former teammate, Rubén Cervantes (Javier Bardem), who now owns the F1 team APXGP (Apex Grand Prix) and offers Sonny a test drive to fill their spare seat in the World Constructors' Championship. Knowing Sonny is the best at what he does, Rubén needs his skills to get his team to win one of the nine remaining Grand Prix that year, lest his investors sell Apex. Soon enough, Sonny reluctantly accepts the offer and heads to test at the Silverstone Circuit, where he meets Kaspar Smolinski (Kim Bodnia), the team principal; Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon), the team's ambitious female technical director; and the cocky but driven-to-win F1 rookie, Joshua Pierce (Damson Idris). Long story short, Sonny is signed once Kaspar recognizes his unique skill set, and that he may be just what the team needs. However, this is much the shagrin of Joshua, who proves difficult for Sonny to work with - even if Sonny is kinda being a jerk most of the time. One thing I can certainly give the film is its characters. You gain insight into the perspectives of Sonny and Joshua, and discover that the more they differ, the more similar they become. While Sonny is an old-school racer and will push the envelope as a racing prodigy, doing whatever it takes to win, Joshua falls into the would-be celebrity category, threatened by Sonny's return. Both characters are cocky assholes in their ways, but somehow, both are still likable in their ways, especially in Joshua's case when we see his relationship with his Mother (Sarah Niles). As part of this aforementioned "formula," however, of course, part of it involves a blossoming love-interest portion between Sonny and Kate. Still, Kate was a fallible character, playing the role of perhaps the most important person on the Apex team, yet revealing her flaws when she's not on top of her game. And this is far from something like 'Top Gun' where the love story is a massive chunk of the movie. On the contrary, they maintain a professional demeanour throughout most of the film, and the moments that do occur between them are relatively subtle. The shiniest part of the movie, however, is the races themselves. Once they hit the track, and the adrenaline kicks in, you can constantly remind yourself, as you watch, that what you're seeing is real racing/driving, and not a whole whack of CG to make the impossible look possible. Combine a lot of the footage with a top-notch rock n' roll soundtrack that'll make you feel the need for speed, and even at the film's worst, it's a whole lot of fun, and a hell of a ride. Despite a bit of predictability, it's still well worth checking out. 4/5 |
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