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Review by James Lindorf
Director Joseph Kosinski has helmed five films, four theatrical releases, and one straight to Netflix. Those four films have been nominated for 7 Academy Awards and 2 Grammys and grossed $2.2 billion worldwide. Kosinski became a hot commodity after his last movie, “Top Gun: Maverick,” earned 70% of that total in 2022. He plans a third entry in the Tog Gun franchise, a reboot of “Miami Vice,” and a still-untitled UFO disclosure thriller with Jerry Bruckheimer and Apple. While those projects are likely years away, his next project, “F1: The Movie,” opens in theaters and IMAX on June 27th.
For two and a half seasons, life in FORMULA 1 has been a dream come true and a nightmare for Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem). The former driver can continue competing in the sport he loves, but his team, APX GP, is on the verge of being sold. Not only haven’t they won a race yet, they haven’t been on the podium, and they haven’t even won a single point. That means they never had the fastest lap in a race or finished higher than 11th. Desperate, Ruben turns to his former teammate Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt). Three decades after an F1 race nearly left him paralyzed, Sonny has become a nomadic racer-for-hire, going anywhere there is an open seat. Looking to answer whether he is a has-been, a never-was, or the greatest that never was, Sonny joins the team’s hotshot rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) for one last shot at saving the team. “F1: The Movie” also stars Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Sarah Niles, and Kim Bodnia and features a screenplay by Ehren Kruger (Top Gun: Maverick) and seven-time FORMULA 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton as a producer.
There are always directors who are known more for their style than necessarily making great films. The late Tony Scott, Tim Burton, Michael Bay, and The Wachowskis all come to mind. The closest comparison for Kosinski has to be Scott. Their films are known for oozing charisma, great music, and being visually dynamic. They both directed a Top Gun movie and followed it up fairly quickly with a movie about racing, only Kosinski didn’t reteam with Cruise, instead reaching out to another Hollywood icon. This movie fits right in with his current resume. It has excellent performances, moments of tension, and plenty of humor in a story without much depth. Bringing back Claudio Miranda, the only Cinematographer he has worked with on his six feature-length films lends familiarity and a great visual style. Helping with that style and the air of authenticity is that they were able to shoot the movie during Grand Prix weekends in England, the US, Abu Dhabi, and several other unique and beautiful locations.
You will be let down if you are looking for a movie to break new ground or reinvent the wheel. There are elements of “Days of Thunder,” a splash of “Rush,” and a whole lot of 2001’s “Driven” in this screenplay. Many people may not remember the Sylvester Stallone flop, but the similarities are undeniable. One thing all of those movies did that Kruger chose not to do was introduce a racing rival. Yes, there are growing pains and some infighting between Sonny and Joshua. Still, they spend much more of the film ignoring each other or actually being helpful. Kruger goes so far as not to make another driver a character in any way. They are shown around the track, mentioned by the announcers, but the group of 20 drivers and their hundreds of teammates do not have a single line of consequence during the 2-hour and 35-minute runtime.
The movie is all about the charisma of four actors, Pitt, Bardem, Damson Idris, and Kerry Condon, and how their characters relate to Sonny. Bardem’s Ruben is Sonny’s best and maybe only friend; he needs Sonny but also cares about his old friend in a deep and meaningful way. Idris’ Joshua is a rookie enjoying the spotlight and terrified it will all go away if he and APX don’t figure out a way to win. Their relationship has the most significant arc as the two antagonists first develop respect for each other and possibly a budding friendship. Condon plays Kate McKenna, APXGP technical director, and Sonny’s love interest. She gives as good as she takes, is driven to reach her goals, and is capable of but begrudgingly takes suggestions, showing the depth of her character. This core acting team and Kosinski deliver one fantastic performance after another. It will be a snub if they are not at least nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. There is no weak link, and you come away loving the character’s flaws and all. Their relationships are the highlight of the film. The racing is fabulous, possibly the best that has been put to film, but there is a lot of it, and it starts to border on repetitive. Thankfully, it never tips over that edge each time, introducing fresh drama on and off the track, working for or against APX. Complementing it all is a soundtrack featuring needle drops, including Roddy Ricch’s “Underdog” and a rousing score from composer Hans Zimmer. It also includes a sound design that knows when to let the engines loose and when to dial back all the sound.
I wish the story were as epic as the rest of the elements, but the cast, Kosinski, and the rest of the crew brought their A-game, giving us a solid 4 out of 5 movie.
Rating: PG-13 (Strong Language|Action)
Genre: Action, Drama, Sports
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theatrical): June 27th
Runtime: 2h 35m
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Screenwriter: Ehren Kruger
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer, Joseph Kosinski, Lewis Hamilton, Brad Pitt, Jeremy Kleiner, Dede Gardner, Chad Oman
Production Co: Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Plan B Entertainment, Dawn Apollo Films
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
