Summer entertainment? Well, it’s summer, isn’t it? I mean it’s the time of the year when I have no problem sitting into an air-conditioned cinema with a bucket of popcorn in my hands and a cold drink by my side, to watch one of those films that I’m sure won’t join my list of masterpieces, but which I hope will relax me for two hours or so. ‘F1: The Movie‘ fits this recipe very well, for me. It’s a film that takes place in the world of Formula One car racing, it’s co-produced by Brad Pitt and written for Brad Pitt, and the director is Joseph Kosinski, who also made ‘Top Gun’, so he can be declared the world master of directing spectacular action films in which the main role is played by a male star who, at over 60, looks like he’s at most 40 or so. Another label that could be applied to the film is that of ‘crowd pleaser’. Well, if I’ve already revealed that I’m part of the crowd, I can say that I came away from this movie quite pleased.
As I have already mentioned ‘Top Gun’, the script for ‘F1‘ proposes a similar story. A veteran (aviator there, racing driver here) returns to the elite of his profession after more than three decades to save the world (there) or save the team from last place in the Formula One world circuit (here). Our hero is called Sonny Hayes and he is brought back to the top speed racing tracks by Ruben Cervantes, an old friend and the owner of the team of losers (until he arrives). Just like in the air fighters movie, the veteran must work as a team with an ambitious young man, who becomes his apprentice, partner, friend and rival. The clash between generations and personalities also has effects on the race tracks.
The script is quite formulaic and predictable, but, fortunately for the viewers, this does not matter much when watching the film. The races scenes are superbly filmed and the sensation is immersive, amplified by the quality of the image and sound in the room where the viewing takes place. The cinematography, editing, music are exceptional, they give a feeling of continuous dynamism and have enough elements of novelty in each scene to not give the impression of repetition and avoid boring the viewers. Experts and fans of Formula One racing will probably find some mistakes or exaggerations, but for completely uninitiated viewers – like me – the impression is overwhelming. The presence of actors like Brad Pitt himself (to whom I can only reproach that at 61 he looks a little too young for the role!) or Javier Bardem can only add quality. These are not the deepest or most interesting roles in their careers, but it is obvious that they play them with passion and pleasure. Finally, I confess that I’m not a fan of car racing, I don’t watch it on TV, and I’m not even interested in video games inspired by it. That is until now. After watching ‘F1‘, I think I may give these a chance.