F1: The Movie

By Joanna Langfield

The racers may not always stick to the road, but this film about them sure commits to the formula. And. happily, the creative team working here makes it all feel as fresh as it is familiar.

Brad Pitt stars in a way few modern day movie stars can, as Sonny, a seemingly washed-up race car driver. Just off a rare win, former driver turned Formula One team owner Ruben (Javier Bardem) drags Sonny out of a laundromat with the lure of fame and fortune. If Sonny will only join Ruben’s team, he’ll drive the company over the finish line, away from financial peril.

Who could say no? One first class flight and Sonny enters a possibly dysfunctional group of racing experts, all hoping for a win or at least, to keep their jobs. Is this old timer the guy who can do it? Give you one guess.

You’ll also know how Damson Idris’s competing young driver will take to the old guy showing up. And one look at nifty Kerry Condon and you’ll be taking bets as to how fast Sonny and Kate act on what we’re knowing from their first meet. But, thanks to director Joseph Kosinski’s (Top Gun: Maverick) nifty pacing and deft action sense, along with producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s signature sleek and engaging packaging, we’re swept up anyway. When told well, what’s wrong with a little big movie comfort food? Especially now, there’s something almost relaxing about watching an oft told tale, even when it’s about people risking their lives. No spoilers, but at the screening I attended, on the hottest day of the year, in a theater with no air conditioning, almost the entire crowd still burst into enthusiastic applause when somebody wins something. No surprise, but that’s a happy audience.