X
- 2013
- Submarine Deluxe
- 1 h 20 m
- 2013
- Submarine Deluxe
- 1 h 20 m
Summary In 1971, Motor Racing fan Roman Polanski spent a weekend with world champion driver Jackie Stewart as he attempted to win the Monaco Grand Prix.
Directed By: Frank Simon, Roman Polanski
Written By: Frank Simon
- 2013
- Submarine Deluxe
- 1 h 20 m
- 2013
- Submarine Deluxe
- 1 h 20 m
Weekend of a Champion
63
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
2.8
Where to Watch
Summary In 1971, Motor Racing fan Roman Polanski spent a weekend with world champion driver Jackie Stewart as he attempted to win the Monaco Grand Prix.
Directed By: Frank Simon, Roman Polanski
Written By: Frank Simon
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 9 Critic Reviews
63
67% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
33% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 9 Critic Reviews
63
67% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
33% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
It’s a vintage flashbulb moment of two men at the peak of their talents, one on his way to securing his second world championship, and the other between the twin triumphs of “Rosemary’s Baby” and “Chinatown.”
Weekend Of A Champion is an immersive chronicle of a specific time and place in racing, but it’s also a film in a familiar Polanski mode, exploring a strong man at war with forces that could destroy him.
Weekend of a Champion begins as a motorsports movie but ends up a portrait of two wily elder statesmen who have survived into their seventies by skill, stealth and sheer luck.
All in all, the original 1972 version of Weekend Of A Champion, which ran a fleet 80 minutes,was probably a thorough if minor pleasure. Unfortunately, that’s not the version now being released. Polanski says that he felt the need to re-edit the picture in order to make its rhythm more palatable to a modern audience.
The film is at its most fascinating when Jackie Stewart authoritatively and pedagogically discusses the nuances of his trade.
This recut version appends a new interview with Polanski and Stewart, returning to the same hotel room to wax nostalgic. Essentially, they liked going fast and big; this film feels slow and minor.
The movie has some real archival value and the simple juxtaposition of Polanski and Stewart – the oddest couple in Cannes, surely – has a surreal impact. But I wonder if there isn't something a little bit placid and self-satisfied about the film, which is paced remarkably slowly, given the subject matter.
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 4 User Ratings
2.8
25% Positive
1 Rating
1 Rating
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
75% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 4 User Ratings
2.8
25% Positive
1 Rating
1 Rating
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
75% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Production Company
Anglo-EMI
Release Date Nov 22, 2013
Duration 1 h 20 m
Genres
Tagline The Woodstock of Car Racing
Awards
Berlin International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
