“F1” 2025
For the uninitiated, Formula One racing is one of the most grueling, glamorous and sexiest sports you’ll find anywhere in the world. And from Australia to Saudia Arabia, Japan and France, Italy and Canada, you’d be hard pressed to find a sport that has as many legions of diverse followers with the exception perhaps of those FIFA lovers out there, of which are legion.
It makes sense then that a sport that is veiled in money and elegance, with huge sweeping track and some of the fastest speed on pavement (sorry NASCAR) a movie about this ecosystem, this sport, this world if you will would lure some of the best talent for good reason.
Here’s the surprise though, which is no giveaway. For one of the most coveted, ultra rich and elite sports, the filmmakers take a very down to earth approach, at least as far as the plot goes.
Brad Pitt, a journeyman driver who is welcomed from NASCAR to Indycar. He is the guy who steps in at the last minute when someone bails out on a fight. Or when they need a driver. When a former competitor asks him to be part of a flailing Formula One team, Sonny reluctantly agrees.
Reminiscent of “Bull Durham” more than any other sports movie, the real story here is Sonny’s troubled, tragic past, unresolved issues and allure of going to battle in one of the fastest machines ever conceived to stay on the ground. It’s also has the stakes of nine races left in a season and the hopes and dreams of everyone on the team on the line.
Sonny is not known to be a team player, but is aged, mature and has a strong desire to win. Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hays the way we want, a cowboy wrestling space age engines with aggression and intelligence. His tactics don’t win him any favors by the way.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski who also made Top Gun Maverick and Tron Legacy and with a stellar cast that also includes Javier Bardem, “F1” is thrilling from start to finish. You feel like you’re in the middle of every race.
The elite nature of the sport, where celebrities are as common as Dixie cups, murky investors and sabateurs occupy every corner, drivers are loyal to their own brands more than their teams and the existence of complex rules around car development are all put on the table. It’s a great introduction to the sport.
Even if you don’t like watching people driving the same path on the track each weekend, this is still Brad Pitts movie and it’s one of the most entertaining and thrilling ones he’s made in years.
See “F1” on the biggest screen possible in the best format possible. And don’t even think about ducking out if you have to pee. Fuck that. Hold it in. This is a ride you don’t want to miss a second of. It’s one of the best movies of the year.