Embodying the whole life of a well-known race hero, Ayrton Senna, a Brazilian Formula One racing driver, throughout his early life and the hardships and obstacles he faces with the government and his enemy, the thing that affects badly on him, till his fame and popularity.
A psychologically intriguing if at times too hagiographic portrait of a man who often held pole position in his profession and felt nearer to God because of it.
Jay Antani
Cinema Writer
January 27, 2012
Senna stands as a triumph of [its makers'] knack for story craft and their ability to sort through a staggering volume of material and piece it together into a unified, powerful narrative.
You don't have to know anything about car racing at all. Instead, you simply have to like a great story, one that has all the elements: drama, inspiration, competition, victory, defeat, betrayal and, looming above it all, tragedy.
If we define a classic documentary by its ability to transcend niche subject matter and engage all audiences, then the exhilarating and unbelievable Senna is one of cinema's recent best.
[Director Asif Kapadia] allows his documentary gaze to fall upon the sport of motor-racing in this thrilling exploration into the life of a man who aimed to do as much for those less fortunate as he than he did for the sport.
