F1: The Movie

Front Row at the Movies by Shirrel Rhoades

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Movie stars like racing fast cars. Steve McQueen was a racer. James Garner was a racer. Paul Newman was a racer. James Dean died in a race car.

Now, Brad Pitt gets strapped in behind the wheel in his latest film, “F1: The Movie.”

For those of you who don’t know, F1 stands for Formula One, the highest class of auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile.

An F1 is a single-seat, open-cockpit, open-wheel formula racing car used to compete in Formula One racing events. It features substantial front and rear wings, large wheels, and a turbocharged engine positioned behind the driver.

F1 cars can reach speeds of up to 230 mph, while NASCAR cars typically top out around 200 mph.

“F1: The Movie” introduces us to Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a nomadic racer-for-hire who returns to F1 to drive for the Apex Grand Prix team. Hayes had been a top Formula One driver who was forced to retire following a horrific crash. Now, his old pal Ruben (Javier Bardem) wants him to return to APX GP to mentor a talented rookie, Joshua “Noah” Pearce (Adamson Alade-Bo “Damson” Idris).

Needless to say, the two hotshots become heated rivals – the aging maestro (Brad Pitt is 61) versus the young upstart (Damson Idris is 33).

Think of it as “Top Gun: Maverick” with modified Mercedes racing cars instead of F-14 Tomcats.

The films have the same pedigree. “F1” is directed by Joseph Kosinski, who also directed “Top Gun: Maverick.” It was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, the action maven who gave us both “Top Gun” and “Top Gun: Maverick.” And “F1” screenwriter Ehren Kruger was nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for scripting “Top Gun: Maverick.”

Other “F1” cast members include Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, and Kim Bodnia.

Additionally, all ten 2023 Formula One teams and their drivers appear as themselves in the movie.

Shot at Grand Prix weekends, Pitt and Idris drove F2 cars adapted by Mercedes and outfitted with cameras and recording equipment.

Using remotely operated on-car cameras slimmed to a quarter of the size of those used on “Top Gun” was “like a live stage play … shooting at 180 miles an hour, literally,” says director Joseph Kosinski. “It was an adrenaline rush every weekend.”

“When you see Brad driving, that’s not acting,” Kosinski continues. “He’s really concentrating on keeping that car on the track and out of the wall during all those scenes, so that’s something that you just can’t fake.”

This is “the most authentic racing film ever seen,” promises seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, who acts as co-producer of “F1: The Movie.”

He adds, “Watching Brad drive around at speeds over 180 miles an hour was really impressive to see because it’s not something you can just learn overnight.”

Hamilton sums it up: “The Apple Original Films production has got the lot – Brad Pitt, speed, thrills, an epic underdog story, drama, humor and a little bit of romance.”

What more could you ask?

Email Shirrel: srhoades@aol.com