Tarmac theatrics

Gulf Weekly

3 days ago

A visual masterpiece for new and seasoned fans: Review of F1 The Movie, brought to you by Bahrain International Circuit.
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Cast: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Javier Bardem
Genre: Sport/Drama
Rating: 4.5 popcorns out of 5
Try to imagine combining the visual spectacle of Top Gun: Maverick, a Gladiator-level musical score, the effortless charm of Brad Pitt, the racing passion of Lewis Hamilton, with the backing of Warner Brothers and Apple and a production with unparalleled access to every corner of F1. The end result is a visual masterpiece that manages to find a way of appealing to both an F1 newbie and the most seasoned of motorsport fans.
The film focuses on the struggling Apex Grand Prix team and its ambition to get back to the top of the sport. Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, an ex-driver whose career was ended by a racing incident back in 1993. He is brought out of retirement by Apex GP team boss (Javier Bardem) to revive fortunes at the team and perhaps teach a lesson or two to young teammate Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris).
For the regular F1 fan, the combination of the film's authenticity, together with the visual spectacle will not disappoint. Indeed, staying true to the sport was a key factor for the involvement of Lewis Hamilton as a producer and the endorsement of F1 and the FIA for the film. During filming, Brand Pitt and Damson Idris learned to drive real cars, at real F1 venues, driving at speeds of up to 300km per hour. The cars themselves are F2 cars, modified by Mercedes to blend in seamlessly with the real F1 grid. The scenes you see at race weekend from Silverstone through to Abu Dhabi have all been shot during the actual race weekends, to the extent that during the filming periods, F1 effectively had 11 teams running. Even the smaller touches nod to the real life feeling of F1, with no better example than the cameo of Guenther Steiner and his inevitable fruity language. Add to that the familiar voices of David Croft and Martin Brundle on commentary to support narrative direction and explanations of the action for newer fans, with appearances from the entire 2023 grid (drivers and cars) and numerous other familiar faces from the world of F1, there is plenty for fans to get their teeth into. And that's before taking in the visual treat of the racing shots. Given the amount of filming that was undertaken outside of races, the movie was able to capture new and unique camera shots which go well beyond what fans are used to on broadcast. F1 has always been an impressive visual feast on any normal race weekend, but the film takes the viewing pleasure and immersive experience to a whole new level. Add to that the musical genius of a score by Hans Zimmer and it's hard to not become totally spellbound by the action.
There is also plenty in there for new or even non-F1 fans. Whilst the authenticity necessitates the use of a fair amount of F1 jargon, the commentary, radio chatter and scripting do an excellent job to guide the viewer through the technical details. Brad Pitt is unsurprisingly cool, perhaps best described as a combination of an American version of James Hunt, with the driving style that would make Max Verstappen look timid in comparison. Idris as his teammate provides a cheeky young English vibe that sits well alongside Pitt's more roguish humour, whilst Javier Bardem as team boss Ruben adds significant weight to carry the story along, supported by the Irish charm and cutting insight of Kerry Condon as the team's technical director.
Whilst the film does walk the careful line of trying to appeal the widest audience possible (and rightly so), there will be the inevitable clamour from the hardcore F1 crowd that the film has oversimplified the sport, or that certain small details don't match real life (such as the team headquarters of Apex being filmed at McLaren). Others may say that the storyline isn't the most sophisticated of journeys. To claim any of that would miss the entire point of the film. If you want proper, true-to-life F1, watch the Senna documentary (or just watch an F1 race), and if you want a weaving complex narrative, take on one of Brad Pitt's earlier efforts in Seven. This is unashamedly Hollywood; a true summer entertainment blockbuster and a visual masterpiece celebrating the pinnacle of motorsport. The efforts to remain true to life to F1 do more than enough to give this film credibility.
Most of all, the movie will undoubtedly bring in a new audience to F1, in the same way that Formula 1: Drive to Survive continues to achieve. Not only will it help the sport in its expansion efforts, given that anyone watching this around the world, young or old, cannot fail to be mesmerised by the spectacle of the sport. Given what Warner Brothers and Apple have put into the film for production, and the supporting efforts to promote this film, there is no doubt that this is another landmark moment for F1.
F1 The Movie releases in Bahrain today, June 26. It's well worth a trip to the big screen.