Brad Pitt may be behind the wheel, but Kerry Condon's in control of the gear box in this fun drama that's basically more a picture postcard than pit stop view of the F1 world.
You never know who you're going to bump into at a launderette. Even if you're Brad Pitt, playing a former Formula 1 driver who’s now a four-wheel pilot for hire.
His name’s Sonny Hayes – sounds like an inter-county hurler – and thirty years ago he was a young phenomenon in F1. That was until he crashed his car during a Grand Prix and suffered career-ending injuries.
Now, he’s hitting 60, just completed a stint at the Daytona 500 and needs to do a spot of washing. Then an old pal walks in and offers him the ultimate offer of redemption: a return to the F1 circuit.
The old pal is Reuben Cervantes (played by Javier Bardem), a former F1 teammate who’s now the owner of a struggling Formula 1 team.
The deal is that Sonny will co-drive with and mentor Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the team's hotshot rookie who needs an experienced head to guide him to greatness.
Initially, Sonny turns him down. But this is Hollywood. He turns up at the track and the fun begins.
Our own Kerry Condon pops up in the pivotal role of the team’s technical director. She has a smile that could melt granite, but she’s a tough girl from Thurles and won’t take any crap from Sonny.
What follows is a fun, if pretty formulaic tale from the track (including a token insider 'baddie'), with some superb racing shots that put the viewer right behind the wheel.
As ever, Pitt plays his role with chummy blokiness and – aside from it being basically a promo vid for F1 – it's well worth a look in the company of something fizzy and a box of popcorn.
For added authenticity, filming took place during actual Grand Prix weekends, so it has a genuine feel to it, with the 'real F1 driver' likes of Lewis Hamilton – who is also a producer on the film – popping up and popping champagne.
