Review: "F1: The Movie"

Formula One is the epitome of automative racing – the world’s fastest cars built by the world’s top manufacturers, driven by the world’s best drivers.  It’s the best of the best of the best.

It’s all about exhilarating speed which has been a lucrative theme in Hollywood movies from the early days of silent movies.  Movie pioneer Mack Sennett deliberately “undercranked” the chase sequences in his famous Keystone Cops movies in order to rev up the speed of the action.  Speed was funny and highly entertaining.

The movie trailers for F1: The Movie were spectacular, underscoring the rocket-like propulsion of vehicles and the deafening roar of their explosive engines.  The movie stars Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, an aging, down on his luck race car driver, offered the chance at a final shot of fame, by a former colleague (played by Javier Bardem) who needs to add a seasoned pro to his struggling team.

Sonny agrees to sign on but immediately finds himself in fierce competition with the team’s cocky, young superstar driver, Joshua Pearce (played by Damon Idris).  Their mutual disrespect and dislike are evident from the moment they meet.

F1 was directed by Joseph Kosinski whose most recent film Top Gun: Maverick (2022) was also about a guy perceived to be over the hill, proving he still has "the right stuff."  A lot of aging characters find themselves in this predicament as of late, including James Bond as portrayed in the most recent 007 films starring Daniel Craig.

While Brad Pitt’s character is supposed to be three decades past his prime, he still has Pitt’s likeable charm and youthful good looks.  He’s a guy who wants to win, despite debilitating pain resulting from a near career-ending accident.  Aside from that, the only thing standing in his way now is the egotistical upstart teammate he is forced to drive with. 

F1 is character driven.  It’s about relationships, on and off the track.  But that’s not why moviegoers buy tickets to see movies like F1.  They come to see the high-speed thrills.

To its credit, F1 offers a number of flashy racing sequences.  The problem is they are largely repetitious, using the same shots and camera setups, again and again. In a day and age of specialized camera mounts, drone mounted cameras and computer-generated digital images, you might expect more from a movie like this, in the way of state-of-the-art innovation and creativity.

Two of the most famous Formula One movies were both made over 50 years ago. I’m referring to The Grand Prix, starring James Garner (1966) and Le Mans, starring Steve McQueen (1971).  Both were praised for their breakthrough approaches and special effects at the time they were released.  Both tried to offer a glimpse into the world of Formula One racing that no one had ever seen before. 

In the case of The Grand Prix (which won three Oscars for Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Effects) the movie was shot with epic Panavision 65 mm cameras and shown on wide theater screens.  In addition to actual Grand Prix race footage shot for the film, special cameras were rigged to show James Garner actually driving a Formula One racer at high speeds.  He was a skilled driver in real life.

In one unforgettable shot, a remotely operated robotic camera-- mounted on the front end of Garner’s race car-- mechanically pans from a POV (Point of View) shot of the track to Garner behind the wheel, determinedly driving the car.  The Grand Prix featured extended POV shots during the races which were immersive when seen on wide, wrap-around movie screens such as the one at the Warner Theater in Downtown Pittsburgh.

While Le Mans took more of a documentary approach, visually, both movies had one thing in common.  The stars (Garner and McQueen) were both skilled race car enthusiasts who actually sat behind the wheels of their Formula One cars.

There is a level of realism—and drama—tangible in The Grand Prix and Le Mans that is missing in F1.  While it appears that Pitt and Idris are driving, there are no shots that establish or confirm that.  Pitt is reportedly a fan of Formula One.  That is apparent, even if his performance isn’t entirely credible or real.

All of this is not to say the F1 isn’t worth seeing.  It’s off to a great start with a solid opening weekend. Brad Pitt fans will enjoy it. What they might not enjoy is the movie’s failure to put the audience in the driver’s seat of a race car capable of speeds over 200 mph.  It’s been done before.  We can only believe that modern movie technology could have done it even better.

In the end, F1 is mostly a formula film about Formula One Racing.  To some degree, it falls short of the breakthrough innovation and thrills that Hollywood served up over a half century ago.  With all due respect to Brad Pitt, what it is also lacking is the talent of two of the coolest, most legendary actors who ever appeared on the big screen.