Reel Tastes & Travels – a light dose of entertainment to wake you up

There are certain movies that leave an indelible impression on you. I still remember the feeling of awe when the T-rex strode onto the big screen in Jurassic Park and dispatched the velociraptors with ease…the uplifting feeling as the music washed over me during Mulan’s transformation to soldier Ping…the feeling of stunned wonder as twist after twist flew at me while watching the Prestige at 1 am, and the attendant frustration at not being able to shake someone awake and share my wonder with them. 

F1 – the movie is not one of those unforgettable films. However, if you’re looking for a few hours respite from the summer heat, enjoying the thrilling spectacle of car-to-car racing and the feel-good sentiment of a comeback story, then it is a perfectly serviceable addition to the summer blockbuster line-up. 

Brad Pitt plays a middle-aged former F1 driver who never got to fulfil the promise he showed in his youth. In a last ditch attempt to save a struggling F1 team, his friend-cum-team owner brings him in halfway through the season. The stakes are high – the team needs a race win (yes, not a points finish or even a podium but nothing less than a win!) to avoid a forced sale by their board but they are yet to score even a single point in the season. Throw in a brash young rookie with big talent and an even bigger attitude (not helped by a very sub-par manager who advocates parties over race prep) and you have a winning combo of an underdog team to root for, a comeback story to cheer you up and a coming of age story of sorts for the rookie to warm your hearts. 

How much you enjoy the movie may well vary depending on how hardcore an F1 fan you are. F1 driver Carlos Sainz already famously warned pure racing fans to be open-minded to the film. And long-term fans will probably find the central premise of the movie itself unbelievable – that a man in his 50s/60s let alone one who has not raced in the series in decades, could return to F1 to a completely new generation of cars and compete with the best of the best seems ludicrous. But for newcomers to the sport, or casual fans, a little suspension of disbelief goes a long way. 

The movie smartly keeps its focus on the racing without delving too deeply into the back stories and motivations of the characters. It shares just enough to provide the emotional heft for the races, and it is here that the movie shines. The cinematography pulls you in, providing a ringside seat to the action so that you as a viewer can almost feel like you’re right there, with every touch of the cars, every turn, every overtake and even every crash. The plot may be predictable, but this is not the kind of movie to watch for its plot. It’s the kind that gets you caught up in the swell of emotions on screen, the heartaches, the disappointment at each setback, and ultimately the swell of triumph at the final victory. And it achieves that, ably supported by a stellar cast (though even Javier Bardem can’t relieve the corniness of the line ‘we have the driver!’), a good soundtrack and engaging action. And similar to Netflix’s Drive to Survive, it may even help introduce a lot of new fans to the sport. 

Verdict: A fun watch with a charming cast. And for F1 fans who might be put off by the inaccuracies in the racing series’ portrayal…hey at least you can enjoy the cameos from your favorite drivers!