Williams

What a beautiful and honest film. As I get older I realise that people that make a difference in this World are never perfect. They are rarely 'nice' but they are, more than usually, 'great'. What did surprise me was just how critical Frank's wife was in the story of Williams, which to a large extent makes his daughter Claire William's' strength and success understandable. I have always (as an F1 fan) liked Williams and (as a bloke) rather fancied Claire Williams as the thinking man's totty! Yes, so sue me. But the public persona is always a bit of a charade. One rarely knows the true story. She has always seemed strong and full of integrity (with a particular focus on the 'gritty'). There are clearly hard things in the reality which must be tough on the family. That is so sad. But this film was both illuminating and immensely touching. This is a film about an F1 team, but so much more, it's a film about the human spirit. Yes, there is a seam of selfishness here (from Sir Frank), but largely it's about focus and integrity and character - and character forged against huge personal suffering. I have some sympathy for Sir Frank's son, who seems to be somewhat distanced from the story (at least in this film) but at the same time, it cannot be denied that Frank's wife was a rock and a major part of the Williams story. It is, therefore, hardly surprising that Claire Willaims has become such a stoic part of the Williams story. In the end, this isn't an F1 story at all. It's a story of family, love, human frailty and everything that is both good and bad about this thing called life. ...and I still fancy Claire Williams more than I should admit. Except, now I know why. Made me feel there are still people worth admiring in this world.

A very interesting and moving film about the Williams family and the history between Frank and Virginia. How they met, their life during F1 and of course during the very difficult period after Franks accident. The film is loosely based around Virginia's monologues whilst she was writing her book about her life with Frank. It's sometimes difficult to watch and most certainly you come to realise that Virginia was a very understanding woman towards Franks obsession with F1 and motorsport in general. I would imagine most modern day marriages wouldn't have lasted six months in the same situation. He comes across as possibly a difficult character emotionally and with his life revolving around F1 everything else had to take a back seat. I noticed that Frank never mentions that how much he loved her but rather that she was an incredible woman. I'm sure that love was there but you can sense he's still very guarded and not a man to show much affection or emotion in that regard. If you didn't know his character, people watching this may see him as being a bit "cold". This is a film about their relationship and the relationship between the children, it's not really a motorsport history film. So don't expect a movie about the cars, or the great seasons of winning. I was surprised they never mentioned Mansell's season ending '87 crash for example, '92, '96 and ,'97 are not mentioned at all. There are elements of it but in no great detail. Oddly Mansell doesn't come out of the film very well, he was an incredible driver but the team seemed to like Piquet much more! I'm wondering if by making a more personal film they are trying to aim at an audience that would never be interested in F1 or motorsport. I've also watched the McLaren film and they are both great but different in their approach. The McLaren film is probably more "enjoyable" if you like and has a more positive overall feel to it. There's certainly more of a motorsport slant to it. However if you get chance to see both this film and McLaren, and you are a motorsport fan, then go for it.

Very good information about a great man and team

A very good documentary on the Williams team and the man. Personally I would have liked more footage from the teams glory days from 1979 into the early 1980's.

A great stroll down memory lane about an iconic team and charismatic GP team principal nut. Great viewing.

very interesting to watch

Good information on the team

One of the most outstanding motorsport documentaries I have seen to date! There is a wonderful blend of behind the scenes at current events, historic archive footage that covers the rise to the top for the Williams team, and the key story of Frank's family (in particularly his wife, Virginia). The backbone of the film focuses on the book Virginia wrote (A Different Kind Of Life), in the immediate years after Frank's terrible road accident in 1986. You really get feeling of how this accident affected the whole family, including their children. It also covers the tense sibling rivalry of Claire and Jonathan, that sadly drove a wedge between the two. Such somber moments, like the deaths of Piers Courage and Ayrton Senna were covered in a delicate and respectful way, but the highlight for me was when Claire read an extract from her mothers book to Frank. It's not often you see Sir Frank with a tear rolling down his cheek! This film almost had more of a Who Do You Think You Are vibe that incorporated a motorsport subplot which gave one of the greatest insights into one of the truly great figures of Formula 1. A must see for any racing enthusiast!