Garland, TX – Most of the time, what I see in movie theaters is largely dictated by my 14-year-old daughter and her friends. That’s fine, I have raised her well, so most of what I’m interested in seeing is also on her list. When it came to my birthday, however, my best friend wanted to take me to something that was more specifically in my wheelhouse, so I chose “FI.”
Honestly, I had no idea what it was about, hadn’t seen a preview and didn’t even know the title stood for Formula 1 racing. All I knew was it had Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem in it, so it was sure to be good. Thankfully, that turned out to be an understatement!
If you’ve seen the Tom Cruise movie “Days of Thunder,” this one might bring that to mind. Imagine Cruise’s Cole Trickle 40 years older carrying the reputation of a legendary and decorated racer but also the damage that 40 years of driving fast for a living brings with them. That’s very much what we find as the movie opens, with Pitt being the damaged and decorated racer being approached by a former friend and rival to branch out into a new kind of racing. Bardem plays that old friend, very reminiscent of Michael Rooker’s Rowdy Burns from “Days.”
This time around Pitt is being asked to groom a young hotshot racer, much as Kevin Costner’s Crash Davis was asked to tutor Tim Robbins’ Nuke Laloosh in “Bull Durham.” Pitt plays the role masterfully, keeping his best veteran cards close to his vest as he works to overcome the ego and bravado of Damson Idris’ Joshua Pearce. Kerry Condon masterfully handles the role of Kate McKenna, who is tasked with building a cutting edge racer that can both meet Pitt’s sky-high expectations and compensate for Idris’ raw talent.
It’s not necessary to know a single thing about Formula 1 racing to thoroughly enjoy this movie, though it does appear that the stars of that sport are all over the movie. Neither my best friend nor I knew who they were, but some of the people around us seemed impressed by the realistic field of true racers. What I do recommend is that you see this movie in IMAX, as it was filmed with an IMAX camera and is coming back to IMAX now, as speeds around the final curve of its theatrical run. If you like outstanding acting, directing and writing, this makes for a great show. It doesn’t hurt if you enjoy dazzling visual effects and immersive soundtracks, either.
No spoilers here, but just when you think you know where the story is going it takes another hairpin turn in a direction you didn’t see coming. I can also tell you, having now consumed the behind-the-scenes videos on YouTube, that the technical presentation of Formula 1 racer design is painstakingly accurate to the real world. If that’s something you do care about, you won’t be disappointed.
Final recommendation? Watch for F1 to return to IMAX in the coming days, grab some popcorn and strap yourself in. This one is quite a ride, and one you won’t want to miss on the big screen.
