Strap yourself in to ride top speed with Brad Pitt in the driver’s seat. You will feel it! We loved Ford V. Ferrari, but this film, clocking in at 2 and half hours putting pedal to metal around the world. Every turn shows off Top Gun: Maverick Director Joseph Kosinski’s breakthrough racing cinematography. The screenplay and story are by both Kosinski and Ehren Kruger with Hans Zimmer’s score helping accelerate the action.
Pitt looks damn good, young-looking and sexy, like Paul Newman or Steve McQueen in Le Mans. This actor has yearned for the thrill of making a racing movie for 20 years. Pitt trained for 6 weeks for this and actually drove his Formula 2 racing car 180 miles per hour! Famed 7 time, Formula 1 Champion Lewis Hamilton led training the two leads.
Motorcycle driver Pitt already had some experience having worked directly with former Formula 2 race driver turned stunt driver and sequence choreographer, Luciano Bacheta. Idris was more of a newbie needing more training from F2 racer, Craig Dolby. Hamilton is such a pro that when they were editing, he could tell what turn the car was in just hearing the sound going around the turn. You might want to bring ear plugs because the racing scenes are loud.
It was shot using special IMAX cameras. We saw it in Dolby and could feel the rumble in our seats. Cameras were mounted inside and outside the cars, like the ones cinematographer Claudio Miranda used to shoot Top Gun: Maverick, to capture their faces and every other angle. It feels as if you’re right there with Pitt, who plays Sonny Hayes, but also his younger competitive teammate, Joshua Pearce, J.P., (Damson Idris) as they were racing.
Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a very promising young driver in the 1990’s who was hurt badly in a racing accident and literally went downhill. Sonny was labeled “the greatest driver that never was.” Now, 30 years later, he’s downtrodden with plenty of attitude as a racer-for-hire. He’s approached at Daytona by former teammate, Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) who is the owner of a last place Formula 1 team that’s about to lose its backing. Bardem is excellent and commanding as the resurrected friend who has stayed in the game and wants to give Sonny a chance hoping his save Ruben’s team.
But that means competing with the tall, strikingly handsome, young teammate, J.P. and Kosinski shows their different ways of training and driving, plus their egos. Where Sonny uses old school running shoes and tennis balls for getting up to speed, Josh has an agent handling his social media while using the latest high tech gadgets to sharpen his response times.
Josh’s doting mother, Bernadette, (Sarah Niles) is his motivator, giving her son advice at every turn. Another woman on Ruben’s team catches Sonny’s eye. Kate (Kerry Condon-Oscar nominated for The Banshees of Inisherin) is the team Technical Director keeping tabs on performance keeping track on the track. He’s never seen a female tech operator in the pit before. Not only is she smart, but attractive. Predictably, sparks fly.
What really makes the movie is the heart-stopping racing at Grand Prix races one after another on tracks around the world, from the UK, to Daytona, Las Vegas to Japan, Italy to AbuDhabi plus. It’s touch and go and you’re in the car with Sonny and Josh trying to navigate position during their races. You’ll catch on to the leader board on display on the screen as they’re flying down the track. And when the pit crew springs into action for split second repairs, pay attention. So precise, don’t blink or you’ll miss it.
There is one villainous detour at the end of this film that we didn’t think necessary. Will young, confident Josh learn anything from weathered vet Sonny? Kosinski keeps the high speed action going over hundreds of laps and you’ll be on the edge of your seat waiting to see who comes out ahead. The pacing is good, plus humor, sarcasm and friendship add texture. This is one of the best Pitt stops ever.
Warner Bros. 2 hours 35 minutes PG-13
