We feared the worst with the adaptation of the Gran Turismo saga to the cinema. But by clinging to a true story, the film manages to avoid the pure exit from the road. Our opinion (without spoilers).
Do you know Jann Mardenborough? This British driver, now 31, experienced an atypical springboard into the world of motorsport: he won the GT Academy, a competition organized by Nissan and taking place in the Gran Turismo video games (developed by Polyphony Digital under the PlayStation umbrella). 24 Hours of Le Mans, Formula E, Endurance, GT… Jann Mardenborough made a name for himself, first thanks to a video game. But he is neither Lewis Hamilton, nor Sébastien Loeb, nor Alain Prost… Yet it is he who inspired the film Gran Turismoin theaters from August 9.
We won’t lie to you by saying that we feared the worst with this adaptation of the flagship automotive saga of PlayStation consoles (the first opus was released in 1997 on Sony’s very first console). We have seen what Need for Speed had given: a boat action film that awkwardly clings to a brand, for pure marketing purposes. With Gran Turismo, the objective is different and serves to establish Polyphony Digital’s video games as builders of dreams. The result is a kind of well-made documentary, it is true, but which dilutes its story inspired by a real life in an ocean of staggering naivety.
Gran Turismo stacks the means to fail at the foot of the podium
funny anecdote
Note that the real Jann Mardenborough took part in the filming of Gran Turismo, as a stuntman. A real guarantee of authenticity.
We feel that Sony has nevertheless taken the means to avoid Gran Turismo to fall into ridicule and hit a wall at 250 km / h, foot to the floor. Neil Blomkamp is a referenced filmmaker (District 9, Elysium, Chappie), although it’s not the first name that would come to mind for a movie about cars. The casting is involved, between Orlando Bloom, admittedly a tad playboy, and David Harbour, gruff but endearing. There are even references a little perched in the world of motorsport, evidenced by the presence of Geri Halliwell as a mother who believes in her son’s chances. In the city, the ex-member of the Spice Girls group is the wife of Christian Horner, boss of the Red Bull Formula 1 team. Insiders will appreciate the wink that will escape others.
Jann Mardenborough exudes sympathy
Despite this encouraging body of evidence, Gran Turismo struggling to take off due to a story that lacks depth. Jann Mardenborough exudes sympathy, but her journey feeds a little too much on the expected obstacles, which may be true. An overly down-to-earth father, everyone’s distrust of video games, a crude instructor (David Harbour, therefore). It is only when reality catches up with the dream — a fatal crash, which has really punctuated Jann Mardenborough’s career — that Gran Turismo manages to elicit a hint of emotion to match its subject. A way to remember that motorsport unfortunately feeds on drama to build legends, risk being part of the game.
In sum, Gran Turismo is often nothing more than a good-natured film about accomplishment, as we have already seen plenty of in the cinema, with certain shortcuts that make you smile (the snatch victories are a little too romanticized for ‘we believe in it), a handbrake constantly engaged and pit stops, do you want some? There is also a problem with the staging, when Neil Blomkamp forces himself to recall that Gran Turismo is first and foremost a video game – by integrating, for example, interface elements from Sony’s title or even typical camera angles from video games.
Mixing the two doesn’t work when it comes to filmmaking, and marriage kills the show more than anything. It’s a shame, because some racing sequences are worth seeing and we feel that the budget was well spent.
By showing itself to be far too smooth in its intentions and paralyzed by this desire to remain in a resolutely general public approach, Gran Turismo does not avoid the syndrome of the beautiful window in disguise (and publicity for Nissan). In the end, it only puts forward the technical argument of the video game saga (a simulator sharp enough to “manufacture” legitimate pilots), the basis for the materialization of a childhood fantasy (to become someone thanks to video games) . Or when the driving license becomes rather the license to dream. It’s cute, but far from captivating.
It lacks everything that makes the essence of motorsport in the noble sense of the term, starting with the rivalry that is both destructive (of career) and creative (of exploits). Next to Rush by Ron Howard, who relies on the iconic duo Niki Lauda/James Blunt to transcribe a breathless duel between two titans, Gran Turismo sorely lacking in cylinders. As talented as he is, Jann Mardenborough is not of the caliber of these giants, and there is nothing he can do about it. Now, some true stories don’t deserve an entire movie.
The verdict
We liked
- The cast at the top
- Overall serious achievement
- Geri Halliwell = the best reference
We liked less
- Story too smooth and naive
- Jann Mardenborough is not Lewis Hamilton
- Thank you ad for Nissan
Gran Turismo could have been much worse than Neill Blomkamp’s proposal, which is never really far from a well-made documentary about Jann Mardenborough, a pilot born from his passion for Polyphony Digital video games. If the sympathy capital is undeniable, the show struggles to captivate. There is finally too little to tell about an inspiring man as we come across far too often.
There was probably not much better to do, and that says a lot about a project that, perhaps, has no reason to exist. Otherwise demonize once again the passion for video games, and this propensity to become a real dream factory. Nissan and Gran Turismo will appreciate the publicity stunt. Nice, but already forgotten. Too smooth and insufficiently tarred.
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