As if there were any lingering doubt, let me be clear: Brad Pitt is a movie star. It doesn’t always feel that way, given the range of roles he chooses and the infrequency of those roles these days. In fact, I am not certain his ‘movie star persona’ has ever been as ‘on’ as it is in F1, the latest action epic from Joseph Kosinski, the man behind Top Gun: Maverick. I mention that film of Kosinski’s intentionally because of Tom Cruise. F1 feels like a Tom Cruise movie. Cruise isn’t even in it, and it still feels like a Cruise movie. Forget the Kosinski connection, who also directed him in Oblivion. This film is, essentially, a reboot of Top Gun: Maverick, but with race cars. Pitt is actually driving for some of the scenes, something we know Cruise does and appreciates. There are also the numerous comparisons to another epic racing film, Days of Thunder, directed by Tony Scott, whom Kosinski replaced on Maverick’s second go. And then there’s the whole Shea Whigham of it all, and I’m assuming he’s just playing the same role in all of it. I’m not sure if Pitt made a conscious decision to move into Cruise territory, but he’s there. And, you know what? He deserves it. Pitt has been one of the most charismatic and elusive leading men for a long time now, and seeing him, now, in his early-60s, embrace this new life and career as a movie star feels appropriate. Interview with the Vampire sequel, anyone?
Looking better than he’s maybe ever looked on screen, Brad Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, a racer for hire who isn’t even a has-been, but rather a never-was (or so numerous people tell him). Hayes hops around from high profile gig to high profile gig. When we meet him, he’s helping a team win Daytona. A few days later, he’s invited by an old F1 racing buddy, Ruben (Javier Bardem), to accept a spot on an F1 team in order to help the financially unstable crew keep their jobs. And Sonny does just that, developing a rivalry with the rookie racer, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris); developing a crush on and eventual relationship with the team’s designer, Kate (Kerry Condon); and developing sweats on middle aged gay men and women in audiences all over this great land of ours. Everything pretty much goes exactly how you expect it to go, and all of the pieces fall comfortably into place. No one is giving F1 any trophies for originality, but sometimes it’s nice to just slide into something familiar and fun.
While F1 doesn’t do anything new, it does a lot better than its peers. Whereas the slickness and polish of Days of Thunder sometimes made it feel like less of a racing picture and more of a sweeping romance, F1 has a gritty, in the driver’s seat feel that really amps up the tension and the drama. Where Rush made it seem like racing was entirely the work of the driver, F1 knows better. It realizes it takes a team to win a race, and the entire team is given substance here. And, if Ferrari utilized mediocre visual effects, F1 never misses a beat. Whatever visual effects were used, and I am sure there were plenty, never called attention to themselves. If nothing else, Kosinski produces near technically flawless creations. Think about those races in Tron: Legacy. Think about the sprawling facility in Oblivion. Or the fires in Only the Brave. Or everything in Top Gun: Maverick. Kosinski is one of the most impressive visual directors in the game today and he doesn’t receive nearly enough credit for it.
The union of Kosinski and Brad Pitt is a match made in heaven. Just as Kosinski understands how to command the ‘Tom Cruise persona’ on screen, so too does he understand, intrinsically, what makes Brad Pitt a movie star. This role feels entirely crafted for Pitt from top to bottom, maximizing his dry wit, physical comedy, one-sided smile beaming like a spotlight, and that ability to shift gears (pun intended) effortlessly into emotional badlands. This camera loves Pitt in ways he’s never been loved before. Each scene seems designed to find new and exciting ways to make Pitt look incredible in whatever he was wearing, from those tight racing suits, to what was clearly one of his own company’s cashmere sweaters at the end. There’s a world where this entire film is nothing more than a Japanese whisky commercial where Pitt dresses in cute little numbers in front of blatant product placement. And product placement really is the star of this film, even more so than Pitt. I would wager there isn’t a single frame of this film where you can’t find a brand name popping out like a ghost. I know it’s about racing and racing is all about product placement, but this started giving me The Island vibes at some point (if you know you know). And don’t think for a second they’re being ‘woke’ – Smoke up, kids – even Joe Camel gets a plug!
Alas, that whole originality thing I was just glazing over – it’s sort of important, and it’s why I could rate this film higher. On the surface, it’s as perfect a piece of summer entertainment as anyone could want. But, the deeper and deeper you dig, the hollower and hollower the whole thing starts to feel. F1 starts to feel like something other than a movie. It’s just…too put together. At what point does a film cease to be a film and become…I dunno…a business entity? And there I go again, connecting Cruise and Pitt with an ‘entity’ reference. Look – F1 slaps. It’s 20-minutes too long, features a phenomenal lead performance from Pitt, delightful support from Kerry Condon and Javier Bardem, and a nice introduction for Damson Idris. But that’s all it is. And that’s probably enough for 99% of people, but I needed a bit more. Kosinski has mastered visuals, but he still needs work with his storytelling. Top Gun: Maverick managed to hide it better, but it suffered from similar issues. Kosinski is on the cusp of being one of the absolute best working today, but needs to take more risks. And Ehren Kruger is not a screenwriter with whom you take ‘risks’. That choice alone tells me he needed to play it safe.
F1 racing isn’t safe. But the film about it is sitting in the stands. You can still have a lot of fun there.
Rating: ***1/2/***** (currently playing in theatres nationwide)
