Earlier this week Asif Kapida's documentary was disgracefully eliminated from the 2012 Oscars race. Here is a review of what might possibly be the film of the year ...
Whether you are a Formula 1 aficionado or believe that it's the loudest, dullest and repetitive sport currently on the calendar, you will have heard the name Ayrton Senna. Despite the success of Schumacher and popularity of Mansell, Senna is the name that is utterly synonymous with the sport, and this documentary honours his memory in a fine and riveting manner that is tremendously compelling. By only using archived footage Senna, ekes out a nostalgic aura and you firmly believe that you are gaining a unique and previously unseen view point of Senna’s life and unlike other documentaries you truly feel that you know Ayrton, with all of his delicate nuances in tow. Director Asif Kapadia has seeped through weeks of footage to wield a tremendous account of Senna's life and has somehow managed to create conflict and a narrative from his fractured relationships with fellow racing driver Alain Prost and the head of FISA Jean-Marie Balestre that is able to rival any scripted drama released in the past decade. Senna manages to evoke almost every emotion that is cinematically possible and is an honest and candid piece, whose devastating finale will leave you gushing in tears.
