Semisonic
How often to you come upon a documentary - a kind of film that can't afford to use fiction to draw emotions from - that makes you cry? Especially if you're not prone to crying at movies. Well, Williams was certainly my first experience of that sort, and that alone merits a high regard for this film. But that's definitely not the film's sole quality.There's something magical about Williams, both the film and Frank himself. Maybe that's the secret only the Brits possess, because everybody - and I mean _everybody_ - in this documentary looks as if they are professional actors: handsome, deep and oozing that charm of something really big going around. Or maybe that's the spell of Formula 1 working on me after all - even though I'm absolutely not a fan of F1 -, who knows.All I know is that the story this film tells is not simply about a certain racing team's ups and downs. It's not even about a certain man's personal ups and downs, even though those are quite big and dramatic on their own. It's a story of real people, a family, going through several decades of challenges life gives them, having to both overcome the problems coming from outside and deal with the way racing business shapes their lives as a husband, a wife, a daughter and a son.That Williams family, it's a peculiar one. If you enjoy reading people's characters, you'll find this film especially delightful, because, on many accounts, it feels like a confession for everyone involved. For Frank, who's been so obsessed with racing that he openly put his family to the second place of his life priorities. For Virginia, his wife, whose story of meeting and living with that man deserves a melodrama of its own but is given us without sugar dusting instead, with all the harsh details mentioned. For Claire, Frank and Ginny's daughter and the current Team Principle, who's been on a lifelong mission to prove herself worthy, as a woman and as a second child, of her father's shoes, against the preconceptions of the industry and the jealousy of a family member.That might actually be the reason why this film is so deeply touching. Because what that family has come through is so profoundly complex and at the same time so relatable, that no fiction movie screenwriter could have done a better job than what life itself did. And no professional actor could possibly convey as much emotion, both expressed and contained within, as those people did by just being sincere to themselves and to each other for us to watch. Especially Claire, who has to be as strong-willed as her dad but at the same time feels entitled to have emotions and attachments to something besides those roaring metal beasts. Her face, her voice, showing beautiful strength and determination, but at the same deep never-going sadness, is something that one could win an Oscar for, if only they were faking it instead of just living their life.Some things words just can't describe. So, whether you like deep psychological drama or are just a keen fan of this sport, make sure you don't miss this film. Can't guarantee that you'll deeply regret it otherwise, but, using the film's last line, it's certainly possible.
biggun007
Beautiful, emotional movie showing very well Frank Williams strong, but having difficulties showing emotions (like many men) character. I'm pretty sure deep inside he's got lot of feelings, pride, sadness, loss and caring for his family and team. Not many people could move on like him after so many sad things that happened like his accident, losing his caring wife, his kids not talking to each other etc.
And there we come to the point that makes me give the movie a 6 instead of a 7:
Has the writer or director been in coma for 30 years (1987-2017)? It would have been interesting to know what Frank was thinking about the fatal disaster that occurred in 1994 with the best driver he ever had, Senna, and believe me I'm not Brazilian, but I was in Brazil when it happened and I never before and never after have seen so much sadness in a country where people normally never lose their humor even though they might be sad because of their situation. I'm pretty sure this incident hurt him deeply after all the throwbacks he had before in his life.All in all great portrait of a standup man and his great daughter that resembles her mom very much. be it in her determination, looks and ability to show emotions unlike her dad.
peterrichboy
Having watched several documentaries over the years on legends of motor sport. Graham Hill Jackie Stewart Jim Clarke and now Sir Frank Williams. They all strike me as extremely driven determined and selfish individuals who put there need to increase the speed of their cars above all else and in Frank Williams most of all his family. They always came second to his F1 team. Despite having a remarkable wife who stuck by him despite numerous affairs and a near fatal accident that left him severely paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. In this insightful documentary we learn much about this remarkable man who took a struggling team on the point of bankruptcy to a multi million pound business winning several world titles along the way. We also learn much about his daughter Claire who herself has had difficult family decisions to make in her quest to become the most powerful woman in the male dominated world of Formula one. 9/10
szweda-18555
Am not sure what to make of this experience, there were times when I felt too close to emotional ripples to the point of voyeurism perhaps. Have followed the team since Damon Hill joined but have struggled to like the man after how Damon was treated in his championship year. Here is revealed more of the man you always suspected lies there running the ship like an obsessive who lets nothing stand in his way. Not even business disasters not to mention fatal accidents in his team's cars. Who could survive let alone prosper when they have been hit by so much so often as we see here. But he has not been the only one to pay the price of membership of the "piranha club"; his family deserve medals and more for their considerable tolerance and sacrifice to feed the machine. Whether this is a biopic of Sir Frank or the team that bears his name I was not entirely clear, maybe that was deliberate, you will have to make your own mind up. Personally if this is what it takes to touch the top in F1 then leave me and mine out of it. 32 holidays in the same place without your father... well, it says it all really. Call it driven or call it selfish you have to ask if the price of fame is worth it. One last note to the film-makers - I would warn would-be viewers to be alert to the tragedies of multiple accidents some of which were clearly fatal and are in my mind horrific adding nothing to the intent of the film. It is a thin line between sensationalist and essential in some minds. Do we really need to be shown these terrible accidents? I think not. Let us remember them full of life not as blazing corpses.
