“F1” is the latest film from director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the creative team behind “Top Gun: Maverick”.
In the latter film, a veteran fighter pilot embroiled in a troubling past gets his chance to redeem himself by training his younger counterparts in his field. Along the process, he will find himself in the heat against his apprentice, but his last opportunity for victory might mean amending large wounds in their relationship.
“F1” follows the same thread as “Maverick” but is set in the world of competitive car racing. Brad Pitt plays veteran racer Sonny Hayes, while his younger teammate is Damson Idris’ Joshua Pearce. The two fight a lot, mostly due to clashing egos between the experienced player and the up-and-coming hotshot. This feud brings their team to a dangerous low, with camaraderie and a shot at reconciliation as the only solution toward being number one.
This film is formulaic, but by following familiar storytelling beats, it finds solace in enhancing the stakes of its portrayal of Formula One racing on the big screen. Kosinski would install the cameras right in the car pit, the same way he does it with fighter jets in “Maverick”. When Brad Pitt drives furiously, we don’t get to see his background get increasingly blurred; the driver suddenly vibrates as he plunges through the action.
Seeing this on the big screen, with an immersive sound system, is the ideal way to see this. More often, I would lift my feet during the racing sequences as the vibration from the sound mix became too much to handle. It helps to see this kind of thrill and innovation handled with utmost care to compensate for the shortcomings of its narrative. For a while, the film became excessive, and trimming twenty minutes would’ve enhanced the overall experience.
“F1” might be Brad Pitt’s vehicle, but this easily puts Damson Idris on the big map. There’s vulnerability and warmth in his boastful arrogance, and a lesser actor could not match Pitt’s magnetic presence. Watch out for this guy.
“F1” is now showing in cinemas.
Featured photos from Warner Bros. Pictures.
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