Race For Glory: Audi vs. Lancia movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Race For Glory: Audi vs. Lancia

This racecar movie is now available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and in theaters.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 34 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B-

IN A NUTSHELL:

Apparently, the studios think we’re all obsessed with race cars, so another biopic about cars has just been released. In 2023, we had Ferrari and Gran Turismo. I liked both of them.

This one is inspired by true events that occurred during the fierce rivalry between Germany y(Audi) and Italy (Lancia) at the 1983 Rally World Championships. The film was directed by Stefano Mordini.

THINGS I LIKED:

Riccardo Scamarcio and Daniel Bruhl face off in a battle for the finish line as the leaders of Lancia and Audi. They both gave great performances. Riccardo Scamarcio also helped to screen-write the film and served as a co-producer.
Daniel Bruhl played another racecar driver, Niki Lauda, in the movie Rush in 2010.
Other cast members include Haley Bennet, Volker Bruch, Esther Garrel, Katie Clarkson-Hill, and Jacopo Rampini.
We learn about the intrigue and dangers of the 1983 World Rally Championship, where racecars drive all over the country where everyday people watch on, rather than in the stands. In the 2023 film Ferrari, we also saw the dangers of such a race. That movie showed how dozens of people were killed when a racecar crashed along a country road during the Mille Miglia, resulting in the cancellation of that race forever. Check out my review of Ferrari!
We get to travel around gorgeous Europe. Man, I adore Europe! I’m going there twice this year! Woohooo! Because of that, we see some lovely cinematography by Luigi Martinucci.
We get to see some old footage from races, but not much.
What we DO see is the passion and love for the sport.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Unfortunately, a lot of the details about this true story were fabricated. The filmmaker admits that with text on the screen at the very end before the final rolling credits. Some of the characters were even made up. What a disappointment. Fans of the sport will be frustrated and annoyed, especially since the real race was exciting.
We don’t get to see the cars up close and in action as much as we’d like to.
Without English subtitles, the American audience is limited, sadly.
A popping soundtrack would have spiced things up a bit.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be bored.
Italian, French, and German are spoken, often without subtitles.
Profanity in various languages, including F-bombs in English.
We see a car crash and on fire.

THEMES:

Racing
Underdogs
Passion for a sport
Competition

FUNNY LINES:

None worth noting. The movie had some light humor but was mostly a drama.

INTERESTING LINES:

“Rallying is a dangerous sport. Is there anything that frightens you?” – interviewer (Haley Bennett) “Yeah. One thing: Losing.” – Cesare Fiorio (Riccardo Scamarcio)
“Congratulations on your elegance, Cesare.” – Roland Gumpert (Daniel Bruhl) “Congratulations on your precision.” – Cesare Fiorio (Riccardo Scamarcio)
“What does it take to win?” – interviewer (Haley Bennett) “Heart and brain and a touch of creativity.” – Cesare Fiorio (Riccardo Scamarcio)
“My job is to win.” – Cesare Fiorio (Riccardo Scamarcio)
“Where is not the point. The point is how…as fast as you can.” – Cesare Fiorio (Riccardo Scamarcio)