There are few things I would rather do than watch 20 multi-millionaires hurtle around oddly-shaped tracks in glamorous locales, battling it out in a marvel of instinct, engineering and strategy.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a passion that I have sacrificed my sleep schedule, money and, quite frankly, my sanity for,\u00a0 so when it was announced that Lewis Hamilton (arguably the greatest driver of all time and certainly the most decorated) was producing a Formula One (F1) movie, it was inevitable that I would watch it.<\/p>\n
Directed by Joseph Kosinski (of \u201cTop Gun: Maverick\u201d fame), starring Brad Pitt (\u201cFight Club\u201d and \u201cMr. & Mrs. Smith\u201d) and running just over two and a half hours, \u201cF1\u201d was a whirlwind, both good and bad.<\/p>\n
First, the pros.<\/p>\n
2024 Season Cameos (+)<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cF1,\u201d much like NBA\u2019s \u201cHustle,\u201d is set in the real world \u2013 this case being the 2024 Formula One season. The cast and crew filmed at actual races, with real drivers, team principals and presenters playing themselves in the background or in minor roles.<\/p>\n
For Formula One fans, this was an absolute delight. The 2024 season was eventful to say the least, and seeing key figures preserved in time \u2013 some no longer in the sport at all \u2013 was both nostalgic and fun.<\/p>\n
Moreover, the realism helped the movie itself, upping the stakes and adding built-in personality to the film.<\/p>\n
Soundtrack (+)<\/b><\/p>\n
In a movie featuring race cars, sound is important, and \u201cF1\u201d balanced it perfectly.<\/p>\n
With a score crafted by Hans Zimmer (\u201cInterstellar\u201d and \u201cDune\u201d) and a soundtrack featuring everything from rap to country-rock to pop, it\u2019s no wonder that the music in \u201cF1\u201d shines.<\/p>\n
I would trust Hans Zimmer (musically) with my life, and, shocking no one, he did not disappoint here. Beautifully integrated, the music melded to each scene, direct without being too on the nose.<\/p>\n
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Gorgeous.<\/p>\n
Visuals (+)<\/b><\/p>\n
If there\u2019s one thing Kosinski knows how to serve, it\u2019s visuals.<\/p>\n
The editing? Perfection. The on-board angles? Perfection. The capturing of the over-the-top production that is Formula One? You guessed it: perfection.<\/p>\n
This movie was very similar to the \u201cTop Gun\u201d franchise in the sense that you felt like you were there, and if Kosinski couldn\u2019t make that happen, he made you wish you were there.<\/p>\n
\u201cF1\u201d is a movie that, at least during the race scenes, will make you hold your breath a little.<\/p>\n
But even with these pros, there were flagrant red flags (pun intended).<\/p>\n
Realism (-)<\/b><\/p>\n
With all the effort put into place to make us believe that APX GP, \u201cF1\u2019s\u201d fictional team, was real, there was little to no effort being put into realism when it came to playing the sport itself.<\/p>\n
\u201cF1\u201d essentially took one of the most significant cheating scandals in Formula One\u2019s history, Crashgate<\/a>, and made it the blueprint.<\/p>\n For those who don\u2019t follow Formula One, it\u2019s like making a movie about the NFL, but the made-up team\u2019s main strategy is deflating the balls before every game.<\/p>\n Other things, like how a cash-strapped team is essentially rebuilding a car after every race (with upgrade packages) despite cost-caps are foregone in favor of the magic of Hollywood.<\/p>\n I was expecting this, given what actual drivers commented on<\/a> after they saw the movie, but it was still a little ridiculous.<\/p>\n Stagnation (-)<\/b><\/p>\n In \u201cF1\u201d, Brad Pitt plays a \u201clovable asshole\u201d named Sonny Hayes. Sonny is a cool customer; he does what he wants, doesn\u2019t give a damn what anyone thinks about him and is obviously the best at everything he does.<\/p>\n He\u2019s also boring as all get out.<\/p>\n Sonny Hayes is self-insert fan fiction, the same way that Tom Cruise\u2019s Maverick is. He doesn\u2019t change at all during the movie, and why would he? He was perfect to begin with.<\/p>\n \u201cF1\u2019s\u201d second lead, Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris, was a much more compelling and dynamic character. Though not perfect, you saw him grow and struggle through the course of the film, ultimately making him 10x more likable. Frankly, I would have loved for this movie to have ended with Idris\u2019 character getting what he deserved, instead of being doomed by the narrative.<\/p>\n Romantic Plotline (-)<\/b><\/p>\n