Plantiana
Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.
Casey Duggan
It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
Ella-May O'Brien
Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
Gareth Crook
This opens with Frank Williams smiling as the sound of engines roar. He's 75 and looks as wide eyed as a young child. This isn't called Frank Williams though, it's a family story, the last in F1. Time wise it bounces around, getting the more recent disappointments of the team out of the way early. It covers everything from starting out, getting nowhere, through to the 80s dominance and Franks accident. Most interesting though are some of the recordings of Franks wife Ginny, no longer here, talking about the team and the world of racing. This along with the stuff from current team boss Clare Williams really makes this pretty captivating. A heartbreaking story, bravely told openly. Whether you're a fan of F1 or not, this is a remarkable documentary.
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.
sam21462
It is rare that a film leaves me feeling as this one did. It was moving, touching, honest and a bit haunting. More than anything, however, I want to stress the honor that I felt in being allowed to share in such an unbelievably intimate portrait of a family that has climbed a mountain and found another behind it.It is a story off a man's consuming passion for a sport that would eventually lead him to the absolute pinnacle at the same moment that his life was tragically turned inside out by an accident caused by the very thing he loved, speed. More than that, however, it is a story of the grace of two women, his wife, Virginia and his daughter, Claire. While there are countless interviews with some of the greatest names in Formula 1, it is Virginia and Claire that truly steal the show and I was simply left in a bit of awe of them both.