Grand Prix (1966)

i must have seen a different film!!

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

I haven't seen very many movies about car races, which makes John Frankenheimer's "Grand Prix" all the more impressive. The characters' relationships with each other aren't the most impressive, but the movie's editing and cinematography is something to behold. Some of the scenes are shot from what one might call the car's point of view. Think about it: looking straight ahead while going at a higher speed than most cars ever reach.So, the plot probably won't appeal to everyone, but the racing scenes are to die for. You gotta see the movie just for those.Jessica Walter sure was a babe back in the day.

I'm a big fan of director John Frankenheimer's work and I think he's made some of the best action sequences in Hollywood. GRAND PRIX is his racing car drama that sees ROCKFORD star James Garner involved in a terrible accident on the track which causes his career to spiral out of control before he makes efforts to turn things around. The story suffers from a huge amount of long-winded relationship drama; the running time is near enough three hours and easily half of that running time could have been excised in order to focus on what's important; namely, the racing scenes. These are superbly staged and as good as they come. Frankenheimer refused to shoot his car races slow and speed them up, rightly believing the effect looked fake, so what you see here is all real. Garner did his own driving and the camera follows him every inch of the way. Frankenheimer captures the speed and excitement perfectly and his use of in-car cameras reminds one of the energy of something like BEN HUR's chariot race. You can tell this is the same guy who shot RONIN thirty years later. It's just a pity that the rest of the story is so sluggish and manages to waste the star calibre of somebody like Toshiro Mifune.

Having just watched this movie for the first time in 20 years and being a fan of motor sport. I was pleasantly surprised how well this film still stands up today. Often regarded as the golden era of Formula one it was a time when the sport was incredibly dangerous with drivers losing there lives on a regular basis, this film encapsulates all the dangers the drivers put themselves through to succeed in this sport. The performances are all solid but it's the racing action that keeps you gripped the in car shots are ahead of there time, whilst the cars and all the great circuits from the time Monaco, Silverstone, Spa and Monza with it's lethal banking make this film a must not just for F1 fans but of 60s cinema.

Epic soap opera combines the elements of tragedy, courage and competition to document the trials and tribulations of the elite motor racing fraternity. James Garner stars as the subdued track star, his rivalry with former team mate Brian Bedford not only confined to the cockpit with Jessica Walter's sultry influence pitting the pair against one another following an acrimonious split. Yves Montand and Antonio Sabato provide solid, watchable supporting performances as Garner & Bedford's nearest rivals, the ageing Montand beginning to question his place in the sport, whilst the brash, youthful Sabato seeks to shine in its luminosity.Diverse cast and some compelling race sequences just manage to go the distance (3 hrs) as our heroes make sacrifices for the obligations of their sport, becoming increasingly disdainful of its commercialisation at the expense of their safety in what has become a familiar rhetoric for these types of movies since.You won't need to be a fan of formula one to enjoy Grand Prix, though it's epic duration and moments of melodrama and romantic interludes sometimes stifle momentum. Though dated, Grand Prix is colourful, picturesque and tells a rather straightforward if bittersweet tale of professional racing that is long overdue for a decent remake.