Senna (2011)

Too much of everything

An Exercise In Nonsense

Admirable film.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

What I despise about action films nowadays is their unceasing quest to outdo their predecessors, not in terms of quality and emotion, but in regard to the most superficial -- yet most pleasing -- of cinematic aspects: spectacle. CGI use has reached an all-time high and is showing no sign of stagnation, each blockbuster pushing at the edge of what should be possible with wild and reckless abandon, as if they have forgotten all rules of filmmaking and are simply -- like their actors -- jumping off cliffs for money. Cheap thrills, and little else, have become expected staples in action cinema.The result? Ultimate and irredeemable desensitization. We are no longer shocked by entire planets exploding, no longer feel any sort of thrill when Tom Cruise renders eight thugs senseless, bored when Karl Urban shoots up a whole room of junkies in slow-motion, and barely even entertained when Vin Diesel drives from one building into another, with explosions illuminating the air behind him. This already false substance has become utter fluff, which filmmakers pile on when their ideas and intellect fail them.And yet, we, as an audience for these stupid filmmakers, yearn blindly for what is rarely provided. We want to see big explosions, epic fights, car chases, etc. We want to be thrilled when we partake in the blanched and boneless experience of watching modern films, and sadly, this does rarely ever happens.As such, I picked up Senna from the library hoping for fast cars. That's about it, really. I just wanted to scrunch up on a chair and watch fast cars drive around, crash, explode, and sure, win if possible. I didn't care when it came to who was driving them. Basically, I was in it for a Fast and Furious montage, except slightly more realistic and without Vin Diesel making me squirm with his quasi-religious "family" monologues."I don't got friends. I got family." "Your brother never told you to threaten a man's family? It's a pretty stupid thing to do." "You don't turn your back on your family, even when they do." (What the hell?!) "This time, it ain't about just being fast." (Okay, that one isn't about family, but it still sucks)Senna begins with grainy footage. Which makes sense, considering that it is a documentary about Ayrton Senna, a racecar driver active in the 80s and early 90s, and most, if not all of the footage is collected from that period. But it was initially rather a letdown, considering that I had hoped for something ultra-sleek and sexy, sort of in the vein of Rush (2013) with its lithe, jungle-cat(esque) stylishness, both physically and cinematically. Despite this, the film delivers, not only on the fast cars, but on sheer entertainment. The film is intense and thrilling simply because the footage is real. A sense of the drivers' mortality is evoked within the viewer as we are placed in the driver's shoes, forcing us to understand the rawness and terror of Formula 1 racing as the driver is forced to grapple with every time he enters the car.But what is most surprising about the film is Senna himself. Ayrton Senna is one of the most magnetic individuals that film has had the opportunity to depict. He is a man, complete with emotion, beauty, and anger, displayed to the audience as a full human being rather than simply a character. His initial friendship and eventual rivalry with fellow driver Alain Prost is captured just as magnificently as his delirious ecstasy at winning the World Championship in Brazil, his country of origin.The film, unlike most documentaries, tells real-life stories with an effective dramatic flair, instead of simply presenting events one after the other. Each scene has a purpose, whether to deepen our knowledge of Senna himself or to entertain. Whichever it chooses to do with each subsequent scene is consistently satisfying and emotional.I loved Senna, every single minute of it. It reminded me that we can in fact be emotionally invested in films, that we can be entertained by them, even moved to tears by them. Sure, technical prowess is admirable, but there has to be a pulse behind it all. And when that pulse is fleshed out, undiluted and inextricable from the cinematic experience, the film has undeniably succeeded.

Ayrton Senna was before my time, back when he was at the heights of his F1 career until his death I was a small kid that had no interests in racing-sports (and in fact I still don't). But still, even then I heard people talking about him, seemingly idolizing and having sympathies for him like he was much more than someone who was just successful at what he was doing. I didn't find out why until I saw this documentary.Senna is a intense documentary about a three times F1 World champion. But it's not really about racing, rather about how he was truly passionate about it. Regardless what you think of racing sports, Sennas remarkable story is more about being competitive at the highest level and him as a person. It practically could've been any other sport or competitive activity. It covers topics from his younger days when he was kart racing, his upcoming to the F1, his fierce rivalry with Alain Prost which at more occasions seemed to cross the lines, his rise to his championships and also his struggle with anything else beside the racing such as fame, politics and dubious, controversial changes in the technology of the F1 cars. What makes this documentary so engaging is how eventful his life was. There are many ups and downs he had, some so interesting and unpredictable they could easily make for a great movie. It keeps you curious to see what's going to happen next all the time, until the end, and even after that you might want to research more about him. Director Asif Kapadia did a good job choosing the scenes and showed a great sense for timing and appropriate music, and it didn't feel like it was "sugarcoated" at any point.The documentary paints a clear image of how much of a down to earth and likable guy he was. People successful and professional as him usually tend to be more calculating, cold, maybe even arrogant, but he still remained true to himself with only his love for racing guiding him to overcome odds. And this, I believe, is why people love him so much. He wasn't really interested in fame and money, only to race and compete which is beautifully used to close out this documentary. True passion is what brands true champions and Ayrton Senna is a shining example of that.

For those who know the life of Ayrton Senna, then you have probably sen this movie. This movie is based on the life, career, and death of 3 time Formula One Champion, Ayrton Senna. The story is told by family, friends, and colleagues that he worked with in his career. Back in 1984, Senna got his start in the Toleman Team, a team not known for running upfront with the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, or Lotus. At the 1984 Grand Prix of Monaco, Senna finished second behind Alain Prost when the race was shortened due to torrential rain. Had the race not been stopped, surely Senna would have caught Prost and more than likely would have won the race. Prost plays a huge roll in Senna's career.In 1985, Senna left the Toleman Team and went to race for Lotus where he won his first career race at the Portuguese Grand Prix, in the rain. Some say Senna was a god when it came to racing in the rain. In 1988 he won his first of three world championships when he drove for McLaren. In 1989, Senna would lose the championship to Prost after a controversial collision at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix where both of them went off at the final chicane. Prost was unable to continue but Senna was able to, however while reentering the track, he cut through the chicane where the two had made contact. This led to Prost complaining to the race stewards and effectively giving the Frenchman the title. Senna would later go on to win the title in 1990 and 1991.On April 30th, 1994, Austrian driver, Roland Ratzenburger, was killed in qualifying for the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola. The next day, Senna was leading the race when on the seventh lap of the race, being followed by Michael Schumacher, went off on turn one and slammed the wall head first at over 170 mph. He was killed instantly but was airlifted to a hospital where revival attempts were given but in the end he succumbed to his injuries. The car he was driving suffered a mechanical error or a tire issue, but was hit by a piece of debris that came off his car in the initial impact. The movie ends showing the funeral for Senna and home movies and memories shown.All in all it was a fantastic movie.

This brilliant, award-winning documentary by British director Asif Kapadia tells the story of the amazing life and unexplained death of Brazilian racing car driver Ayrton Senna. Driving for four different teams, Senna managed to win the Formula One World Championship three times, along the way having a bitter rivalry with the French driver Alain Prost and a variety of incidents and controversies. All this - plus aspects of his personal life including his devout Catholism and support for poor children - is told through a skillful stitching together of clips from interviews, races and commentaries with no narrator so, although it is not always clear exactly what is happening, the tale unfolds like the heroics and then the tragedy of a Greek drama.