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F1

Prior to Oscar nominations being announced in January, there was every reason to believe that there was a blockbuster that was going to find itself on the receiving end of multiple nominations. After the critical success and accolades bestowed upon WICKED, there was every belief that WICKED: FOR GOOD would enjoy the same award-season run. But, when the day came, WICKED found itself blindsided by blanks, and another blockbuster unexpectedly entered the chat.

F1, directed by Joseph Kosinski and starring Brad Pitt, not only surpassed $600 million at the global box office, but also earned 4 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Kosinski, who placed viewers in the cockpit of fighter jets in the electric TOP GUN: MAVERICK, tries to replicate the same hyper-realistic approach that made the Tom Cruise-led vehicle such a joyride. This time, he tackled the world of Formula-1 racing and the results were spectacular.

Sonny Hayes (Pitt) has bounced around the racing world for decades. Once considered the future king of the sport, a devastating and near-fatal accident dashed his dreams. Over the ensuing years he bounced around different circuits, always chasing the rush, but falling short of his own lofty expectations. Three decades, a couple of wives, and a bankruptcy later, he is approached by his old pal and teammate Reuben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) about joining his struggling racing team, APXGP. The team has failed to earn a point in F1, and if that doesn’t change by the end of the season, investors will sell the entire operation.

Sonny is reluctant, but eager to help a friend and chase a dream, he shows up for a trial run. Hot shot rookie racer Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) doesn’t love the idea of a know-it-all grizzled vet showing up out of nowhere, and is more than a little prickly to the elder statesman. Sonny barely (but obviously) makes the team, and from this point on F1 begins to roll.

F1 took a while to find its bearings and though the early dialogue is a bit clunky and its story is largely formulaic, the film works in large part to Pitt’s charm, Idris’s charisma, and Kosinski’s high-octane direction. Clocking in at over 2.5 hours, your likelihood of enjoying the production will depend on your feelings of the many action sequences. In a lot of ways, F1 is your typical sports movie (right down to the inevitable romance between Sonny and technical director Kate McKenna, played by Kerry Condon) but boasts enough cinematic wizardry to set it apart from others. If you felt like you were flying while watching MAVERICK, surely you will feel as if you are behind the wheel in F1. The races look astoundingly realistic and when given the direct POV of the drivers, it is often exhilarating. Aside from Best Picture, the film received nominations for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Editing. These are the key components of any great action flick, and given the world in which this is based, essential for its success. No offense to Glinda and Elphaba, but I’ll take this type of blockbuster any day.