F1 - Review: The Need for Speed

 

“Dad movies” is a turn of phrase often used to describe blockbusters simply about “guys being dudes,” often involving big cars and/or vehicles, big muscles, and big emotions. Movies like “Top Gun,” “Gladiator,” “Rocky,” “Braveheart,” “Chef,” “Indiana Jones,” etc. While it can sound like its downplaying the work done in these films, far from it as many works that could be labeled as such are also lauded, some of them even being some of the best films of their respective years. Joseph Kosinski (“Top Gun: Maverick,” “Tron: Legacy”) has made a few of these before, and he’s back working within territory he’s quite familiar with in another tale of high-octane vehicular thrills in “F1.”

Set in the world of high-octane Formula 1 competitive racing, the film follows aged former-F1 driver Sonny Hayes, played by Brad Pitt (“Fight Club,” “Ocean’s Eleven (2001)”), who finds himself invited back into the sport by his longtime friend and former-F1 driver turned team owner Ruben Cervantes, played by Javier Bardem (“Dune (2021),” “No Country for Old Men”). Ruben’s team has yet to win a race, and he invites Hayes in to race in his second car, as well as to give his rookie driver Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris (“Snowfall,” “Outside the Wire”), a mentor-like figure to work alongside. Hayes soon finds himself butting heads with every member of the team, including Pearce, Pearce’s mother Bernadette, played by Sara Niles (“Ted Lasso,” “Beautiful People”), the team’s technical director Kate McKenna, played by Kerry Condon (“Better Call Saul,” “The Banshees of Inisherin”), the team’s principal Kaspar Smolinski, played by Kim Bodnia (“Killing Eve,” “The Bridge”).

Kosinski’s previous experience with grand scales will obviously help with a project like this, but he showcases a true mastery of the technical arts here. The film is constantly whipping between static and moving shots, whirling around the tracks with a choreographed reckless abandoned. Despite the numerous vehicles racing and crashing around, cinematographer Claudio Miranda (“Top Gun: Maverick,” “Life of Pi”) sets it up like a ballet. The same touch extends to the moments outside of the cars, and it creates a tonal symbiosis between the different worlds of the film and sport. Hans Zimmer’s (“The Dark Knight,” “The Lion King (1994)”) thunderous and phenomenal musical score provides a backdrop to the dance of speed that zooms across the screen throughout the two-hour-and-thirty-five-minute-long runtime.

Pitt and Idris are a fantastic duo, complimenting each other's styles of acting just like their characters do on the racetracks. Pitt’s weaponize lackadaisical charm is put to great use here, as is Idris’s young hotshot attitude. Condon and Bardem are also used perfectly, with each exuding charm at every moment and bouncing fantastically off Pitt. The entire supporting cast is put to great use; none of them ever fall by the wayside, with each getting their own little moment in the spotlight. The only one who gets cut a bit short is Tobias Menzies (“Rome,” “Outlander”) as Peter, one of the board members for Ruben’s F1 team. Nothing about his portrayal or character is bad by any means, but it also doesn’t stand out in any way either.

The excellent technical elements and performances all help to glisten up what is a rather routine script. Co-written by Kosinski and Ehren Kruger (“The Ring (2002),” “Top Gun: Maverick”), while the dialogue is snappy and the pacing is borderline perfect, the individual character arcs and archetypes are lifted straight out of every other film with this similar plot. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, and the actors do exceptional work with the material regardless. However, at no point does the film ever feel truly unexpected. It’s then a testament to Kosinski’s directorial skills, as he manages to wrap you up in the tension and thrills of it all so much, you won’t have time to pay attention to how predictable it can feel.

F1” is a super-charged surprise. From the exceptionally charming and talented cast to the gorgeous cinematography and production values, Kosinski’s latest film continues his streak of turning in some of the best blockbuster entertainment out there. Even if its plot isn’t anything particularly new, it's been supped up to a scale fitting this kind of work. Think of it like this: it's a car full of well-worn and used parts but gussied and revved up to run and sound like it never has before. 4.5/5