Gran Turismo
Release Date: 3rd August 2023 - Australia
Production Companies
Columbia Pictures (presents)
2.0 Entertainment
Michael De Luca Productions
Trigger Street Productions
TSG Entertainment (made in association with)
Distribution
Sony Pictures Australia
Genre: Action/Drama
Runtime: 134 minutes
Budget: $60,000,000
Box Office Gross: $122,101,055 (Worldwide)
Plot Summary
Through his gaming skills
after winning a series of
Nissan-sponsored video
Gran Turismo player gets
his chance to become a
professional race car
driver.
Cast
Archie Madekwe - Jann Mardenborough
David Harbour - Jack Salter
Orlando Bloom - Danny Moore
Darren Barnet - Matty Davis
Geri Halliwell - Lesley Mardenborough
Mardenborough
Josha Stradowski - Nicholas Capa
Daniel Puig - Cody Mardenborough
Maeve Courtier-Lilley - Audrey
Pepe Barroso - Antonio Cruz
Niall McShea - Frederik Schulin
Nikhil Parmar - Persol
Takehiro Hira - Kazunori Yamauchi
Thomas Kretschmann -
Patrice Capa
Akie Kotabe - Akira Akiba
Nissan Board Member
Wai Wong - Senior Nissan Executive
Jamie Kenna - Jack Man Jones
Royce Cronin - Capa Team Leader
Harki Bhambra - Avi Bhatt
Emelia Hartford - Leah Vega
Lindsay Pattison - Chloe McCormick
Mariano González - Henry Evas
Maximilian Mundt - Klaus Hoffman
Sang Heon Lee - Joo-Hwan Lee
Théo Christine - Marcel Durand
Joanne Heywood - Clothing
Customer
at Gamer Cafe
Lloyd Meredith - Percy
Hannah Hornsby - Audrey's
Friend
Bence Bauer - Bonfire Guy
Ciarán Joyce - Ciaran Cochrane
John Carter - James Wallace
Niki Faulkner - Instructor
Rina Saito - Kaz's Translator
Peter Lundie - Race Coordinator, GT Academy
Andrea Vasiliou - Dubai Racing
Fan
Matthew Hirsch - Race Marshall
(Le Mans) (Cameo)
Jacques Jouffret - Race Official
(Le Mans) (Cameo)
Eszter Zavaros - Female Chef
Daijiro Yoshihara - Nissan
Corporate Driver (Japan)
Maya Murofushi - Nissan Desk Clerk
Bianca Bridge - Germany Reporter
Selin Cuhadaroglu - Sarah Eaton
Frédéric North - Helicopter
Crew
Director - Neil Blomkamp
Story/Screenplay/Executive Producer - Jason Hall
Story - Alex Tse
Screenplay - Zach Baylin
Executive Producers - Matthew Hirsch, Herman Hulst and Kazunori Yamauchi
Producers - Carter Swan,
Asad Qizilbash, Dana Brunetti
and Doug Belgrad
Co-Producer - Darren Cox
Casting Directors - Raylin Sabo
and Mary Vernieu
Production Designer - Martin Whist
Supervising Art Director - Justin O'Neal Miller
Set Decorators - Lauree Martell
and Adam Polgar
Costume Designer - Terry Anderson
Makeup Department Head - Tracey Wells
Director of Photography - Jacques Jouffret
Supervising Location Manager - Naomi Liston
First Assistant Directors - Martin Krauka
and James Bitonti
Stunt Coordinators - Steve Kelso
and Andrew Gill
Stunt Coordinator: HU - Domonkos Pardanyi
Supervising Picture Vehicle Coordinator -
Alex King
Picture Vehicle Coordinator - Dennis McCarthy
Picture Vehicle Supervisor - Elia Popov
Special Effects Supervisor - Gabor Kiszelly
Visual Effects Supervisor - Viktor Muller
Editors - Austyn Daines and Colby Parker Jr.
Co-Editor - Eric Freidenberg
Supervising Sound Editors - Kami Asgar
and Erin Oakley
Sound Designers - Charles Deenen,
James Evans and Nick Spradlin
Sound Recordists - John P. Fasal,
Bryan Watkins, Travis Prater,
Ed Walker, Watson Wu and Dustin Troyan
Re-Recording Mixers - Beau Borders
and Kevin O'Connell
Supervising Foley Artist - Gary A. Hecker
Music - Lorne Balfe and Andrew Kawczynski
Review
I vividly recall when Gran Turismo (GT) was a video game series for the PlayStation. I'm not sure if I played GT or not. Then again, it might have been only once (unless it's a different racing game) because I didn't have a PlayStation 3 or 4 at the time. While loosely based on the video games, this film retells a true story of how a young gamer transitioned from virtual racing to a professional racing career. Neil Blomkamp is one step ahead of his directorial comeback after taking a downturn with movies such as Elysium and Chappie, as he breaks the mould from his preferred sci-fi genre. He's never directed a video game adaptation, much less his unmade Halo movie.
Although it may seem unconventional to adapt a racing game into a Hollywood feature (unless you count Need for Speed), GRAN TURISMO has a typical underdog story with an engaging setup. Admittedly, the film is not without its flaws, as it suffers from a predictable narrative and slow pacing. Even the dialogue is slightly weak in the first half, with many lines feeling cheesy and unoriginal. The editing could have been tighter if they trimmed down a few scenes and removed that useless romantic subplot. However, things improved as the film progressed, particularly the emotional moments near the end.
The actors delivered first-class performances with Orlando Bloom returning to the limelight as an idealistic motorsport executive who recognises the gaming community's potential. Archie Madekwe, a young and relatively inexperienced actor, shoulders much of the burden in this film, sharing the screen with some of Hollywood's biggest names. His character embodies a carefree, youthful spirit that mirrors Jann Mardenborough's real-life persona. David Harbour delivers a commanding performance as a former racing driver who coaches Jann.
The chemistry between Madekwe and Harbour is strong, capturing the mentor-trainee dynamic. However, Djimon Hounsou's performance as Jann's father emerges as the emotional centrepiece, despite his limited screen time. Also worth noting is that Geri Hariwell, one of the Spice Girls, plays Jann's mum. Interestingly, the real-life Mardenborough did all of his screen counterpart's driving stunts.
The racing sequences in GRAN TURISMO are spectacular, not to mention the stunning drone camerawork and engaging visual style. The latter ranges
from the CGI recreation of the game's user interface display to the
real-time breakdown of vehicles. It'll make you believe you're playing a
video game. The sound design is superb throughout the film, with roaring engines, screeching tyres, and thunderous crashes that create an immersive experience.
GRAN TURISMO is an adrenaline-fueled combination of gaming and real-world motorsports culture. Although it doesn't offer anything new to the sports-drama subgenre, its heart-pounding race sequences and moving performances make it a worthy addition for fans of racing and inspirational stories alike. Anyone who has played the game or is a massive motorsport enthusiast should check it out.
Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie
