F1LOS'ophy: Winners are not judged, especially in movies

      "Sometimes, to win, you have to lose."

      Ruben Cervantes, owner of team APXGP

      Two months ago, after watching F1 The Movie for the first time, I shared my impressions, the essence of which is captured by this phrase: "...to an audience seriously passionate about Formula 1 and knowing the laws by which the racing world and its inhabitants live, what the film's creators have cobbled together will most likely seem like outright nonsense, albeit not without a certain charm."

      Now, after some time has passed, I must make an important clarification: the key word here is not what you thought, but "charm." I mentioned then that I wanted to see the film again, but this time in the original language—and that opportunity has finally presented itself.

      I don't know how it happened, but I was able to get into the right frame of mind and watch what unfolds on the screen through the eyes of an average viewer. As if I'm not a journalist for whom Formula 1 became a beloved pursuit almost thirty years ago, but simply one of those who have heard something about F1 but would hardly, off the cuff, answer who is currently leading the world championship, or who won the 2000 Belgian Grand Prix after making the "overtake of the century" on the way to victory.

      And it turned out that this is precisely how the film should be perceived—don't try to catch the creators out with blatant departures from reality—racing, technical, historical—whatever—don't search for inconsistencies that no one even tries to hide, but rather "relax and enjoy."

      And then it becomes clear why on such an authoritative site as Rotten Tomatoes the film received 97% positive audience ratings, and critics rated it at 87%—that's very impressive. You understand why F1 The Movie has already grossed more than $620 million worldwide, and now, with it available on online platforms, it brings its creators another $180–190 thousand every day.

      As for examples of inconsistencies and outright invention, in my July column I mentioned the Bond franchise, now a global cinematic classic: after all, no one seriously argues that anything like that happens in the practice of the world's intelligence services, because "it could never be."

      The same goes for F1 The Movie: you have to admit the film is delightful (pity Lewis Hamilton can't hear it), and not only because it's well made. There's a human story that will leave few indifferent, there are decent acting performances—Brad Pitt alone is worth it, but Javier Bardem, Kim Bodnia, and Sarah Niles also did the job quite well. After all, there's a powerful soundtrack, which I didn't pay much attention to during the first viewing, except for the classic Led Zeppelin hit in the very opening scenes.

      Of course, special respect must be paid to all of Formula 1, which actively helped the filmmakers recreate the paddock atmosphere and the heat of racing passions and participated in their undertaking in every possible way. No matter how much time passes, the audience that watches and will watch F1 The Movie will still, with special feelings, pick out from the kaleidoscope of shots those that captured the faces of real heroes—drivers, team principals, and other characters we see on TV screens on Grand Prix days.

      And if you initially tune yourself to a positive reception, if you a priori accept the rules of the game proposed by the filmmakers, then enjoyment is guaranteed. And then there is a chance that in the finale of F1 The Movie, when Sonny Hayes, Brad Pitt's character, wins the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in an astonishing, almost fantastical way, you'll also be swept up by an incredible surge of emotions similar to what his team APXGP experienced.

      Maybe someone will even be truly moved. Those are exactly the feelings that overwhelmed me when I watched the film a second time, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

      Of course, in the end not only Sonny Hayes won—the same applies equally to all the film's creators, who have been watched by millions of viewers around the globe, and the counter is still running. And winners are not judged, even if, in order to achieve the result, they had to stray from the truth in some respects. For heaven's sake, what are you talking about—it's just a movie!..