‘F1: The Movie’ Revs Its Engine for the Summer Blockbuster Race

A legendary NASCAR driver, Richard Petty, said there was no question of when the first automobile race took place. It was, he said, “just as soon as they built the second car.” The quip speaks to the human need for speed and those willing to risk their lives to be the best.Formula 1 is a team sport, and “F1” has a strong ensemble cast, with pit crew, mechanics, and engineers getting more screentime than in similar films. Brad Pitt is in the driver’s seat as Sonny Hayes, “the greatest who never was,” coaxed back behind the wheel 30 years after a career-ending crash.Javier Bardem portrays Ruben Cervantes, an old racing partner of Hayes and now owner of Team APX. The scenes between the two men display a rare depth. They exchange fewer than 10 words before their first race, conveying more about their relationship than any exposition dump could.Although pronounced “apex,” APX is at the bottom of the standings, having never won a race. When asked what he thinks of them, Ferrari’s team principal responds, “I don’t.” Humiliation is obvious in the silent wince of a Dutch actor, Kim Bodnia, as the Apex principal, Kaspar Molinski.Team APX has women on board, but “F1” spares the audience lectures about the sport having long been a male domain. Kerry Condon as Kate McKenna, the first female technical director in the sport, has something to prove but so does everyone else wearing her team’s black and gold colors.Hayes, the seasoned driver, is balanced by a cocky upstart, Joshua “JP” Pearce, played by Damson Idris. The familiar relationship — experience versus passion, a reluctant mentor and mentee — will speak to the young and inspire nostalgia in the old.“F1” adds modern challenges to Pearce’s journey to live up to his talent. It touches on the social media pressure he faces, with Hayes lamenting that his teammate is always on his phone. On the track, focus and discipline are key to victory and to avoiding injury or death in a fiery crash.Speaking of age, Mr. Pitt is 61; the oldest F1 driver in history, Louis Chiron, was just short of 56. It’s a credit to Mr. Pitt’s energy and good genes that he looks fit enough to race. He’s “aged to perfection,” just like the tagline for 1994’s “Nobody’s Fool” starring a 69-year-old Paul Newman.On X, a YouTube film analyst, Will Jordan, known as the Critical Drinker, described “F1” as “’Top Gun Maverick’ but with racing cars.” A Scottish thriller novelist, he praised the “solid, feel-good popcorn flick” for its “strong performances and some excellent race sequences.” “F1,” Mr. Jordan suggests, “might be the dark horse of the summer blockbuster season.” Songs by rock legends like Queen and Led Zeppelin add to the film’s excitement.Another reason “F1” succeeds is that, like the dogfights in “Maverick,” it relies on real vehicles. Audiences can see that racing, like flying, pushes man and machine to their limits. The vitality of practical effects is a reminder that CGI can’t elevate a weak plot or breathe life into bored actors.Those behind the camera deserve their champagne baths on the podium with the cast. There are only seven or nine basic plots with obstacles, betrayals, and triumphs. Ehren Kruger’s screenplay puts gas in a storyline that, in less talented hands, would be running on fumes.The director of “F1,” Joseph Kosinski, shot with a keen eye that puts the audience on the track rather than just in the stands. An American filmmaker, Francis Ford Coppola, called editing “the essence of cinema,” cutting images “together in a kind of alchemy” of the sort that this film delivers.The race scenes, musical score, and performances in “F1” will stick with audiences long beyond its 2-hour, 36-minute runtime. Just remember to obey the speed limit on the drive home from the theater, because you’ll want to hit the gas and hear your engine roar.

‘F1: The Movie’ Revs Its Engine for the Summer Blockbuster Race

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