F1

DECENT 8. there's an ambience of unparalleled sleekness in formula one (from its logo to its cars), and i think F1 does a spectacular job of capturing that sleekness all-the-while disturbing it through brad pitt's sonny hayes and his jackassery — airpods maxes are drenched in ice tubs, playing cards are rarely made in basket bowls, and the safety cars are foulbaited to a james harden caliber. and following damson idris' joshua pierce's injury at the monca grand prix, the movie questions is sonny hayes is a saboteur — an accusation that is quickly dismissed. the movie is no fluff, all straight talk. characters are exactly how they seem (other than the "twist villain" of tobias menzies' peter banning), and so these characters lack the capability of malicious (or even hidden) intent. but i don't see that as a negative, because joseph kosinski uses this bluntness to explore his characters. kerry condon's kate mckenna competes for formula one to prove her dissidents, her doubters wrong. callie cooke's jodie wants to validate her place in formula one by solving her shortcomings herself. and this continues formula of straight talk goes on with sonny hayes. sonny convinces pierce not to search for a mentor, but to find experience on his own accord. sonny counters not only the claim that he wasn't just a "has been," but the claim that he's a "never was." sonny clamors about how doing what everyone else is doing is how they lose. the movie works. and there's a poker scene.