F1: The Movie (English) Review {3.5/5} & Review Rating

Director: Joseph Kosinski

F1: The Movie Review Synopsis:
F1: THE MOVIE is a story about the bond between two drivers. Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was an expert F1 racer. He had to quit the championship in 1993 after suffering a major accident on the racing track in Spain. After recovering, Sonny couldn’t stay away from races and kept participating in various championships. In the present day, Sonny has just helped a team win during a 24-hour race at Daytona. He’s about to apply for a Baja car racing tournament when he’s approached by Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), owner of the APXGP team and also a former F1 driver. Ruben’s team is not performing well and he risks losing it if it doesn’t perform. Hence, Ruben asks Javier to be the second driver during the upcoming racing season for APXGP. Sonny agrees and he reaches London to join the team. They don’t give him a warm welcome, especially the lead rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), who has reservations about the fact that  Sonny played an F1 race ages ago. Sonny’s cocky attitude also puts off others like technical director Kate (Kerry Condon), team principal Kaspar Smolinski (Kim Bodnia), race engineer Nickleby (Will Merrick), Dodge Dowda (Abdul Salis) etc. During the press tour, Sonny is asked uncomfortable questions about his past, that is, his accident, losing most of his wealth to gambling, divorces etc. and this further makes him an unpleasant addition. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

F1: The Movie Story Review:
Joseph Kosinski and Ehren Kruger’s story is excellent and a little different from the usual underdog stories. Ehren Kruger’s screenplay is not pacy like the cars in the film but ensures that it keeps the viewers captivated. The dialogues pack a punch. Many one-liners are sarcastic and add to the entertainment.

Joseph Kosinski’s direction is exemplary. In recent times, he has executed TOP GUN: MAVERICK [2022] and TWISTERS [2024]. These and F1: THE MOVIE all have an adventurous streak but at the same time, they belong to diverse worlds. Hence, Joseph also has executed them accordingly. One of the aspects that is very striking is that those who are ignorant about the world depicted in the film might feel that it’s a biopic. Expect many viewers to Google about the characters only to realize that it’s a fictional flick. The conflict is well thought of and the character of Sonny takes the cake. One can’t predict what he’ll do during the race to hit back at his opponents. The turn of events just before the intermission is shocking and increases the drama and tension. The climax is nail-biting and is quite hatke as well.

On the flipside, to keep the authenticity, the makers haven’t dumbed down on the usage of race-related terms. The race aficionados won’t have a problem with it but a majority of the viewers, who are unaware of the world of F1, might struggle in a few places to comprehend the dialogues. Some of the tricks used by Sonny on the field will also be a challenge for them to decipher. In the middle, the film stagnates a bit. The run time of 155 minutes is also a bit too much. The product placement adds to the realism but is an eyesore in some scenes. Lastly, this is not a mass-appealing film and this can affect its box office outcome to some extent.

F1: The Movie Review Performances:
Brad Pitt effortlessly plays the part. He’s very charming and makes sure he pleases not just the characters in the film but also the audience in the cinema hall. Javier Bardem is apt for the part and performance-wise, he’s first-rate. Damson Idris leaves a huge mark, despite the presence of such top stars. Kerry Condon is impressive. Sarah Niles (Bernadette; Joshua’s mother) is memorable. Kim Bodnia, Will Merrick, Abdul Salis, Callie Cooke (Jodie), Samson Kayo (Cash; Joshua’s manager), Tobias Menzies (Peter Banning; investor) and Simon Kunz (Don; journalist) are memorable. Luciano Bacheta (Luca Cortez) gets no scope. Lastly, the cameos by real-life F1 drivers and personnel will be lapped up by the fans.

F1: The Movie music and other technical aspects:
Hans Zimmer’s music is exhilarating and well-woven into the narrative. The various songs in the film also provide a nice touch. Claudio Miranda’s cinematography gives the film a grand, cinematic feel. Julian Day’s costumes and Ben Munro and Mark Tildesley’s production design are classy. The VFX is world-class. Stephen Mirrione’s editing is dragging but overall, it’s fine.

F1: The Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, F1: THE MOVIE provides a gripping, captivating experience to the viewers. This is not a film for home viewing and should be experienced only on the big screen. While it may not cater to conventional mass tastes, its high-octane storytelling and cinematic scale are bound to drive strong box office numbers, especially in the IMAX screens.