Gran Turismo is one of those positive, inspiring films that we haven’t seen for quite some time. Let me reiterate. The trailers for this film do it no justice. This is not about a kid who wins a video game tournament for the ultimate Willy-Wonka-type prize. Instead, it’s a story of a kid who’s always wanted to be a racecar driver and found his “in” through the GT Academy. Jann’s arc is inspiring in the overcoming odds sense. Much like life, aspiring to the top is hard enough, but he struggled to find legitimacy his entire life. Jann had to prove to his father he could fulfill his dreams, then to Jack, then to the entire sport of auto racing, and lastly himself.
The film’s best part is that Jann’s journey would not be easy, and coming in first is not always the plan. He struggles as a rookie driver and gets his license by the skin of his teeth. The film also shows us some of the dangerous realities of the sport.
“…features a great performance from Madekwe.”
Here’s where Gran Turismo shines. The film features a great performance from Madekwe. The actor is going places. Harbour’s Jack shows just as much growth over the film as the young lead. In the end, these are two guys worth rooting for.
Blomkamp returns to form in telling this sports story. He captures exciting footage, a requisite for any racing movie. He then takes us behind the wheel, giving us a taste of how demanding this sport is.
I see at least five to ten biopics every year. None of them ever tells the true story and takes creative license with the order of events for the sake of drama. So yes, there are historical rewrites in Jann’s story, which is par for the course. But Gran Turismo captures a truly remarkable young man and his journey to professional legitimacy. This is for anyone needing a jolt to the system and focusing on getting back on one’s true path in life.
"…one of those positive, inspiring films that we haven't seen for quite some time."
