Article by Olivia Simonson
On Sept. 4 through Sept. 6, the Huskies Events and Activities Team (HEAT) at SCSU hosted a movie viewing in the Atwood Theater of F1, a movie released this past summer starring Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem. The movie is considered a box office success, bringing in over $600 million dollars by late August, making it Pitt’s highest grossing movie ever.
The movie follows Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a racecar driver who suffered an accident in his prime and is now a washed-up loser, jumping from team to team. When his friend Ruben (Javier Bardem) offers him the chance to save an F1 team from the brink of collapse, Hayes accepts the challenge. The movie is filled with messages about brotherhood and teamwork amidst a thrilling racing background.
Like many others, I went into this movie expecting a lackluster experience. However, within the first 20 minutes, I was invested in the story and characters, and there wasn’t a moment where I was bored throughout the film.
The biggest highlight in this film were the characters. While the movie follows Hayes, other characters have relatively straightforward motives that are executed well. Rookie driver Joshua Pearce is fighting for a place in the F1 world, his arrogance and “play by the rules attitude” making him a precise driver, but not necessarily a memorable one. Kate is the engineer behind the car, determined to prove that she is good enough to be in a male dominated industry. Ruben is desperate to keep his team afloat without having to sell it to new management.
Hayes’ motives are less straightforward, and audiences are left to decipher what Hayes wants out of life. He jumps from team to team, even after achieving victory. He keeps a playing card in his pocket during races but never looks at it. Others view him as reckless and impulsive when he drives, but he is able to make every situation work in his favor. He is a lone wolf, but his first decision on this team is to make Joshua a winner. His complex nature keeps audiences watching and asking one question – what is Hayes getting out of this?
Beyond the characters, the plot deserves some recognition. While it is filled with cliches, they are done well and help to drive the story forward. The twists throughout keep the audience engaged, and any cliches are used in a way that feels natural. While it isn’t the most innovative plot in the world, the movie tells an average story in a well done way, which is rare to see in theaters as of late.
The movie also features a score that captures that thrill seeking feel, and I’d expect no less from Hans Zimmer. His work complements the racing vibe, and it is threaded so naturally throughout that I forgot it was there at times. The movie also does a good job of balancing the score, with some clips being left in silence, encapsulating a feeling of hopelessness and shock.
The movie has two major themes throughout – brotherhood and teamwork. Ruben and Hayes have been friends for forever, and their trust in each other isn’t baseless. You can see these characters truly have a bond, with Ruben looking out for Hayes’ safety while Hayes tries to save Ruben’s dream. The two believe in each other, and it is a big driving point throughout the film.
The other is teamwork. When Hayes arrives, the team is in shambles, with drivers yelling at other members and no one really working together. By the end, the team operates like a machine, trusting everyone to do their part. One of these standout moments is the running scenes. At the start, Hayes goes and runs the track on his own, but as trust is built, the team slowly begins to run together, continuing to do so even after Hayes is gone. This visual of trust helps convey to the audience a sense of growth in the team and shows them working together outside of the racing world.
Overall, F1 is an enjoyable movie that keeps audiences engaged. While this film isn’t going to be a standout movie in 20 years, this movie is a masterclass in making sure the basics are done well, producing an excellent movie all around.
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