'F1: The Movie' review: Brad Pitt makes a charming return in glorious IMAX for a great time at the races

Those who go into this film expecting a completely new story — or an unpredictable one, for that matter — might want to temper those expectations. The template has already been established in another recent superstar-fronted blockbuster, also a Jerry Bruckheimer production. The massive success of Top Gun: Maverick must've compelled Bruckheimer — the man behind some of Hollywood's most successful films — and director Joseph Kosinski to consider slightly tweaking that template to fit the world of Formula One.

 

Take Brad Pitt's Sonny Hayes, for example. He has much in common with not just Tom Cruise's Maverick but also Matthew McConaughey's Cooper in Interstellar—the portrait of a seasoned hero seeking the elusive glory he once sought but failed to achieve and then coming back decades later to give another shot is not exactly new. The glory he is now seeking may have taken a different form, though. I couldn't also help noticing how much Pitt recalls Steve McQueen's mischief, stubborness, and stoic charm in films like The Great Escape and The Magnificent Seven.

 

An oft-repeated question in F1: The Movie concerns the end goal. "If not for money, what then?" We never get the answer, but it's right there in front of us. In the case of Maverick, they already had another movie and a backstory to provide the necessary emotional heft to back the sequel. In the case of F1, however, there is no first movie. So, it has to work harder to win us over. It not only has to appeal to that inner child in everyone who once experienced the thrill and joy of frequenting those video-game arcades to race a vehicle on a tiny screen but also the same kid who has now grown up, dealing with grown-up problems.

 

F1 hits both targets successfully. Not only is it a glorious racing movie shot with the same panache as director John Frankenheimer, who, in 1966, delivered the most revolutionary racing movie of all time, Grand Prix, but also the right emotional chords. (Check out Patrick Willems' excellent YouTube essay on Grand Prix to get an idea of what I'm talking about.) That movie featured real racing sequences filmed in real locations with the help of retrofitted cameras to capture the action up close, including the vantage points of the drivers, onlookers, and helicopter crews. It was made at a time when rear projection shots were common in big-scale films, to the point of being embarrassingly obvious. (Even the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, released a year after Grand Prix, had terrible process shots in chase sequences.) F1 has utilised seamless digital effects in a couple of places, but we can tell the racing sequences were done for real. There are times when I wondered how they managed to fit the camera to emulate the driver's "eyes".

 

The glamour quotient in F1 is high, which is expected in a Joseph Kosinski film, given his design background — the expensive cars, good-looking actors, striking locations, plush restobars, high-end technology... And when combined with Hans Zimmer's reliably epic score and significant contributions from the sound department, what you get is a worthwhile IMAX-friendly experience. But the film doesn't forget to remind us of the blood, sweat and tears that go into an endeavour of this kind. It shows that a racecar driver also runs the risk of losing a job — and his life. It wouldn't be a good sports movie otherwise. The failures are as much important as the trophies. One of the main takeaways from this movie is that you're not going to last in any profession if you're in it only for the fame and money.

 

It also examines sportspeople in the age of social media fame. Damson Idris' Joshua Pearce, the younger rival of Sonny Hayes, has a PR agent accompanying him everywhere, reminding him of the barrage of parties and press conferences he has to attend — how to behave in front of the media, what to project and what not to, where to show up, where not to, the works... Hayes, on the other hand, belongs to that generation which wasn't interested in getting the kicks from counting how many followers they have on Instagram. It was all about the love and passion for the game. Naturally, the clash in ideologies and principles pits the two men against each other, at least briefly.

 

Despite the high count of beautifully shot racing sequences in F1, the film is at its best when its focus remains on the 'analogue vs digital' dynamic between these two individuals. There are enough details to suggest certain backstories for both characters. Hayes carries a pack of cards for luck. He has a noticeable scar on his back. The explanations are not presented right away. The film makes us work for it first. (I love it when a mainstream makes an effort to do that.) Pearce grew up as the son of a single mother, and we sense the absence of a father figure is a reason for his generally reckless and attention-seeking behaviour.

 

There's also the implication that Pearce reminds Hayes of his younger self, which explains a few choices that lead to a considerable shift in their interactions later on. By the way, I assumed Damson Idris was related to Idris Elba, given how they both sound strikingly alike and have matching body language. We also learn why Hayes is the way he is and why he wants to get back to racing so badly when a close friend, Ruben (Javier Bardem), who is in a far better financial position than he is, begs him to return as a favour.

 

F1 and Maverick also share similar romantic inclinations. When an inevitable middle-aged romance brews between Hayes and the team's technical director Kate (Kerry Condon), our minds immediately rush to the scenes of Tom Cruise and Jennifer Connelly—the couples who have had their share of bad relationships but who still are hopeful of finding the right partner at a time when their best days are already behind them. And you get the sense the film is also drawing from Pitt's real-life developments for mirroring effects.

 

Predictability is an unavoidable factor in sports dramas that specifically aim for an upbeat experience, which I don't mind. However, I would've liked to see a little more punch in the moments leading up to the finale. While I found this to be exhilarating on an IMAX screen (the ideal way to experience it), I also wished for a more wholesome experience. If I were to rank the top five racing movies, I would place Ron Howard's Rush at the very top, followed by Grand Prix and F1. That's not a bad place to be, I think.

 

I think there is potential here for a crossover with another racing movie — another Cruise-Bruckheimer film, Days of Thunder — which the makers hinted at recently. A Pitt and Cruise reunion after a long time would be great to see — if that possibility becomes a reality, that is. And since Zimmer was involved in writing the music for Thunder, with one of the best title themes ever written, one can only imagine a match made in cinema heaven.

 

Film: F1: The Movie

 

Director: Joseph Kosinski

 

Cast: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon

 

Rating: 3.5/5

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