F1 The Movie

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is an aging racer, who races for pleasure rather than money. When he runs into his old friend Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), who is the owner of a struggling F1 team, he offers him the chance of a formula 1 seat. His aim, is to have Sonny help save the team and also help the team’s exciting talent Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) to fulfil his driving potential. Can Sonny bring his skill and experience to the team to galvanise it and give it a future?

For anyone who’s seen the trailer, or any underdog sports movie, will not be surprised by anything that F1 puts on screen in its 155 minute run time. It’s ridiculous, with a storyline that is a complete nonsense, with set pieces, that even with a basic knowledge of F1, leaves you shaking your head at the pure ridiculousness of it all. But, and here’s the big but, it’s a proper fun blast of a film, full of heart pumping, excellently filmed race car action.

In Pitt and Idris there is a likable pairing who bounce off each other well. Kerry Condon’s race engineer is fun. Javier Bardem, Kim Bodnia, Samson Kayo and Sarah Niles all also add good support.

There are no surprises in the story as it hits every beat. The “never been” who has one last shot. The team of losers on their last chance. The cocky youngster. They are all there and they all take exactly the journey you’d expect. If you guessed after 5 minutes how the next 150 minutes played out you’d nail it. Training montages and all!

While the story offers nothing new. The recreation of racing is impressive it feels truly authentic placing you right in the heart of cars travelling at nearly 200 mph, bumper to bumper. And it keeps you completely hooked.

F1 The Movie is nonsense, with a ridiculous plot, a storyline that stretches credibility beyond breaking point and is over 2 1/2 hours long. But it’s also a tonne of fun, with two likeable central characters and heart pumping recreation of F1 racing, that will keep you glued to the screen. not sure what F1 purists will think. But the rest of us will have a blast.