Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies
F1 knows the words but not the music in terms of its subject. It has the lingo down pat, but it's missing the spirit and something to connect to on an emotional level. We like Brad Pitt's Sonny Hayes well enough because he's played by Brad Pitt, but are we moved by his quest to win a race for his rival-turned-racing team president Ruben Cervantes (Bardem) so Ruben can retain control of the team and not have it turned over to the squirelly, slimy Peter Banning (Menzies)? Does the relationship between Sonny and the cocky upstart Joshua Pearce (Idris), whom Sonny is supposed to push and mentor into the winner's circle, ever create more than marginal interest? The answer to both is no.
The movie is technically superior and the racing action is edited cleanly so we know our footing. At 2 1/2 hours though, F1's story is awfully thin for the time it takes to tell it. Not only does Joshua endure a terrible crash, but the movie is long enough to have Sonny crash also, so Joshua can then take the reins and learn to be a leader. While we're happy for him, we aren't exactly emotionally riveted by the proceedings. F1 is a sports movie in which Sonny and Joshua are the underdogs, but their journey to Formula One glory is mundane at best.
The plot is simple: Ruben's team needs to win one race out of the final ten in the Formula One season in order for Ruben to continue his presidency of the team. We witness parts of each race, and Sonny is determined to play dirty and skirt the rules in order to gain an advantage for the team. Joshua, however, isn't experienced enough to win yet, and is far too cocky to heed Sonny's advice. Stop me if you've heard or seen this before. Sonny is a far more fleshed-out character than Joshua, who never grows into someone we care about. We are more intrigued by Sonny, but only to a certain degree. His relationship with the team's technical director and automobile expert Kate McKenna (Condon) follows the pattern of rivalry to truce to sleeping together.
However, the technical prowess of director Joseph Kosinki's F1 is the highlight of the movie and captures the action, if not the drama, of racing. I reflect on Gran Turismo (2023) which covered a lot of the same ground but did so more gusto and a rooting interest for us.
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