F1: The Movie

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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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