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Arts & Life
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- Written by: Tim Riley
‘F1: THE MOVIE’: RATED PG-13
Age is not always a factor in the entertainment business. For instance, William Shatner is in his tenth decade and dealing with health concerns but he’s apparently still active in the industry.
The charismatic Brad Pitt is closing in on being able to collect Social Security benefits and his latest role is that of a race car driver tempting fate. Age is not slowing him down; he hardly looks like someone now in his seventh decade.
Pitt’s Sonny Hayes has seen better days as a racer. Surviving an accident on the track that nearly ended his life and career, Sonny turned into a nomadic racer-for-hire for the past three decades, living out of a crummy van during his travels.
Once a promising Formula 1 racer during the 1990s, Sonny has been dubbed “the greatest that never was,” a perhaps unfortunate portrayal but one that motivates him to seek redemption once former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) convinces him to come back to Formula 1 racing.
While most of the filming’s time is occupied, or so it seems, with heart-pounding Grand Prix racing action, a primary tension comes from the uneasy relationship between Sonny and budding racing star Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), who’s arrogant, cocky, and impetuous but undeniably talented.
Known to have spent his off-track time gambling and never going anywhere without a deck of cards, Sonny’s blithe, rash and self-deprecating attitude that masks his self-confident infallibility would naturally clash with Joshua’s irritation at sharing the track with what he deems a racing dinosaur.
Sonny’s old friend Ruben is the owner of the APXGP team, which is struggling at the track and on the verge of financial collapse unless things get turned around. Ruben must also appease a board of directors, including member Peter Banning (Tobias Menzies), who may have his own agenda.
With his return to the Grand Prix circuit, Sonny must also endure media scrutiny that is dismissive of his abilities. Sonny proves to have a sly sense of humor at a press conference by responding to a series of questions with only one-word answers.
Viewed as an interloper way past his prime, Sonny displays a streak of carefree independence and a stubborn ego that is at once endearing and frustrating, and yet, he eventually wins over the pit crew and the APXGP technical team.
Despite multiple failed marriages and his rebellious reputation, the Brad Pitt charm and winning smile comes into play with Sonny’s flirtation with Kate (Kerry Condon), the team’s technical director in a sport dominated by men.
The romantic angle is a minor subplot, which seems to do nothing more than allow Brad Pitt to exude his sex appeal, and also serves like a short break in the action so that everyone can catch their breath.
Knowing that Sonny is supposed to be the mentor to the reluctant Joshua is central to their relationship, which is rocky and initially fraught with jealousy and contempt. You can probably guess how their rapport on a professional level will eventually evolve.
Sound also plays a major part in conveying the racing thrills. Nothing beats the roar of the engine as the race cars barrel down the track. Adding to the sound mix is the throbbing score by composer Hans Zimmer, which he describes as a hybrid between electronics and orchestra.
“F1: The Movie” is a high-octane spectacle for its thrilling race scenes that dominate the screen, but it is also emotionally charged with the characters of Sonny Hayes and Joshua Pearce working through the travails of being an ostensible team.
One can easily imagine Steve McQueen’s anti-hero persona and his love of auto racing would have once made him perfect casting in the Sonny Hayes role. The same could be said for motorsport enthusiast Paul Newman.
McQueen and Newman played race car drivers in “Le Mans” and “Winning,” respectively, that looked realistic, with some actual race footage during Le Mans in France for the McQueen film.
“F1: The Movie” goes a step further with filming during real Grand Prix weekends to deliver a propulsively authentic racing experience that is arguably unmatched by similar cinematic endeavors.
That Brad Pitt and Damson Idris were trained to drive race cars at speeds up to 200 miles per hour is so amazing that Tom Cruise, master of his own daring stunts in the “Mission: Impossible” films, would be impressed by this feat.
Director Joseph Kosinski wanted to make the best racing movie ever made, knowing his actors would have to drive the cars to be authentic. If nothing else, “F1: The Movie” proves that the director’s mission was successful.
Fans of auto racing will find that the pulse-pounding, gripping thrills of Formula 1 race cars running at top speed are best experienced on the big screen. If ever a film was made for IMAX, “F1: The Movie” stands out as a winner.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
NORTH COAST, Calif. — At age 104, the Fortuna Rodeo is still breaking new ground and creating new traditions.
This year Fortuna Rodeo Week opens July 12 with the first “Country On The Coast,” featuring a top notch country music concert experience.
Country headliner Bryan Martin is joined by popular openers and rising artists Alex Key and Timmy McKeever.
“We wanted to offer our community a new experience this year, unique for Humboldt County,” said Shannon McWhorter, president of the Fortuna Rodeo Association. “This will be a fantastic show under the stars, and a great start to Rodeo Week in Fortuna!”
Headliner Bryan Martin bares his soul in his music and the fans love it! He’s had some extreme ups and downs, victories as well as struggles in his life, and he doesn’t conceal anything. His music digs deep, never hiding from the highs and lows in life that can be too difficult to define outside of a melody.
He’s revved up radio charts with the pedal-to-the-floor hit “We Ride,” and reaches millions of listeners each month, with more than 800 million career streams.
Alex Key is a young purveyor of classic country music, keeping fiddle and steel at the forefront of his sound. His album titled “Outdated” which debuted at #1 on Amazon music, spent several weeks at the top of the iTunes charts and received rave reviews.
Hits from this album include the title track, “Outdated” and “Haunted House,” both of which reached viral success on social platforms where he has gained more than one million devout followers.
Timmy McKeever combines a mix of styles to create a versatile hybrid country sound with rock and pop influences. His music blends heartfelt storytelling with a modern edge. Timmy's songwriting process is deeply personal, focusing on themes of self-discovery and resilience. His unique sound, including the hits “I’ve known Better” and “Lightning Speed,” combine with his
dedication to charity work to make a significant impact on the country music scene.
Country On The Coast will take place Saturday, July 12, at the Fortuna Rodeo Grounds in Rohner Park, Fortuna. Gates open at 5 p.m. and showtime is 7 p.m.
Ticket prices range from $50 to $100 and a limited number of parking passes are available at $10 per vehicle. Free parking will also be available at Newburg Park with free shuttle transportation to the concert.
Country On The Coast details and tickets along with a full schedule of Fortuna Rodeo Week activities and events are available at https://fortunarodeo.com/.
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- Written by: Tim Riley
‘DEEP COVER’ ON AMAZON PRIME
Should you be in the mood for a goofy comedy mixed with some action, then Amazon Prime’s “Deep Cover” is a pleasing little film fixed upon three unlikely characters finding themselves embroiled in what could be an ill-fated caper.
Quoting the author of “The Improv Guide,” the film’s opening title says “Improv Comedy is like going into battle. If you want to kill, you have to be willing to die.” That might prove prophetic.
The opening scene on the streets of London results in a high-speed chase when one criminal on a motorbike is chased by gun-toting Albanians, who are then pursued by police officers unable to keep up with the hunt.
Toiling away in a boring IT job is Hugh (Nick Mohammed), a socially awkward tech nerd who fails to ingratiate himself with a bunch of obnoxious day traders, only to be told by his boss to stay in his lane and stop trying to be part of the team.
Meanwhile, Orlando Bloom’s Marlon wants to be a method actor but job offers go not much further than working in commercials, where he succeeded with a bit of recognition as the “Pizza Knight” in television ads.
After work, Hugh wanders by The Comedy Store, taking notice of the posted notice that he could find his voice and build confidence by joining a comedy improv class, which is run by aspiring actress and American expat Kat (Bryce Dallas Howard).
Hugh is hoping that getting experience on stage would help him garner self-esteem to hold his own at the office, rather than breaking into a questionable career move of stand-up comedy.
While the acting career is not really working out for Kat, whose circle of snobbish friends fret about her prospects, a new path converges for her by teaming up with Hugh and Marlon.
The trio is recruited by Detective Billings (Sean Bean) for undercover work going after drug pushers. The theory is that real undercover cops would be quickly exposed but not these guys.
In short order, the acting team’s flair for the melodramatic doesn’t help much when they get in too deep with drug dealer Fly (Paddy Considine), and hapless Hugh does lines of coke to recklessly establish his street cred.
The situation gets even more chancy when the actors get access to Metcalfe (Ian McShane), the boss of the criminal underworld that is the true target for the undercover operation.
“Deep Cover” benefits from the comic chops of likable yet frivolous main characters going for laughs in what is undeniably an entertainment fully committed to absurdist escapism.
‘MUBI’ STREAMING PLATFORM
The ad-supported streaming service Tubi now appears to be well-established in providing users the opportunity to watch sports, along with vintage as well as more recent television programs and movies, for free.
On the other hand, not to be confused with Tubi is the streaming service MUBI, a global streaming platform that views itself as a kind of highbrow outlet for arthouse films and the like.
MUBI describes itself as a production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema by creating, curating, and acquiring and championing visionary films from iconic directors and emerging auteurs.
As part of its mission statement, MUBI believes “cinema should be viewed on screens of all shapes and sizes. Our curators scour film festivals for the most exciting and original new films, which we bring to the big screen with the same care and attention we give to our curated platform.”
For a taste of MUBI, some previous and upcoming releases include Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance;” Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer;” Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The End;” Magnus von Horn’s “The Girl with the Needle;” and Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane’s “Grand Theft Hamlet.”
Other works include Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla;” Ira Sachs; “Passages;” Pedro Almodovar’s “Strange Way of Life;” Molly Manning Walker’s “How to Have Sex;” and Aki Kaurismaki’s “Fallen Leaves.” The names of directors Coppola and Almodovar are familiar; the others much less so.
Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World” sounds intriguing. Just who could it be? Are we talking about the entire history of the world with awful tyrants like Joseph Stalin, Mao Tse-tung (or Mao Zedong), Adolf Hitler, and Pol Pot?
MUBI co-productions include Jim Jarmusch’s “Father Mother Sister Brother” starring a stellar cast of Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Tom Waits, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Indya Moore, and Luka Sabbat.
Then there’s Karim Ainouz’s “Rosebush Pruning” starring Callum Turner, Riley Keough, Jamie Bell, Lukas Gage, Elena Anaya, Tracy Lettes, Elle Fanning and Pamela Anderson, and Michel Franco’s “Memory” starring Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard.
MUBI considers itself the biggest community of film lovers anywhere, with members across 190 different countries. The streamer is headquartered in London, with 15 offices around the world and over 400 employees.
Joining this community comes with a monthly or annual price tag, and it is available on the web, Roku devices, Apple Vision Pro, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, PlayStation, Samsung Smart TV, as well as mobile devices including iPhone, iPad and Android.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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- Written by: Highlight Gallery
MENDOCINO, Calif. — The Highlight Gallery announced it is hosting an exhibition in July of beautiful pastel paintings by Lake County artist Judy Magoon.
Magoon prefers to work with pastels to render her Northern California landscapes.
They allow her to produce the softness and brilliance of watercolors as well as the strength and intensity of oils.
Magoon believes that artists have no choice but to find a vehicle of expression for their creative energy.
The Highland Gallery is located at 10480 Kasten St. in Mendocino.
The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 4 .m. daily.
For more information, call 707-937-3132 or email