Gran Turismo

 It's been ages since I brought up Neill Blomkamp. What's he been up to lately? Well, he did the horror film Demonic and he would have done Alien 5 if not for reasons. He's back with Gran Turismo, which is both named after the racing video game series and a biopic of a particular real-world racer, Jann Mardenborough.

The film opens with a history of the eponymous games. Among its fans are Jann (Archie Madekwe), who dreams of racing real cars over his ex-footballer dad Steve's (Djimon Hounsou) objections. Meanwhile, marketing bigwig Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom) gets Nissan to sign off on GT Academy, a reality show in which GT racers are trained as actual racers. Jann qualifies for the GT Academy after he wins an online race. He and nine other recruits are put through boot camp by ex-racer Jack Salter (David Harbour). Eventually, Jann makes it to the finish line. It's not clear sailing from here.

Jason Hall and Zach Baylin's screenplay fundamentally sounds like every cliched sports movie ever. The son with big dreams, the parent with (admittedly sound, considering the sport) objections, the gruff trainer, the tragic accident, the big comeback and so forth. There's naturally a rival, who comes not in the form of a GT student, but Josha Stradowski's arrogant Nicholas Capa. It's still as emotionally effective as every cliched sports movie ought to be. You'll feel it when Jann has his tragic accident and cheer when he makes his comeback. 

There's a good cast here. Madekwe as Jann is so likable, we're invested in him even when the film slows down. We're impressed as Jack is when he diagnoses a brake problem from his GT experience. Speaking of Jack, his unabashed cynicism is delightfully entertaining, and we're invested in him as he becomes a genuine supporter. Hounsou's Steve is a lot more believable than most forbidding fathers. We especially feel it when he and Jann reconcile at the end. Capa and the other GT racers are just there. The most the latter do is fill out Nissan's team at the climax in Le Mans.

Blomkamp's panache helps liven up the proceedings. There's an audacious charm when the film briefly turns into a live-action video game at times. Jann is even "awarded" a trophy for avoiding the cops after a drunken party. It's also impressive to see cars assemble around Jann a few times. The racing scenes, both digital and real, are spectacularly shot & edited and are set to a dynamic score by Lorne Balfe & Andrew Kawczynski. 

Gran Turismo's true story is a reasonable framework for its video game narrative. Its plot is overtly familiar, but you'll still be invested in its lead character all the way through. Its racing scenes are worth seeing on the biggest screen you can find. They're just as spectacular as Ford V Ferrari's races. See it soon if you want to see it on the biggest screens possible. It's sure to liven up what maybe an otherwise dull September.