Steve McQueen stars in this film that recreates the race at Le Mans, France. However, he is less the star and more the object of the camera's focus more than any of the other racers--but it's a very unusual film. As a result, "Le Mans" is one of the more difficult films I have reviewed. That's because its style is nothing like a traditional film. The narrative is nothing like a standard film and it plays like a fictionalized version of a documentary. So, if you are looking for dialog and an interplay of characters, this is NOT a film for you! Instead, it's as if the entire 24 hours of Le Mans were crammed into a nearly two-hour film. To do this, the middle section of the race was condensed heavily, but the beginning and end of the race is live and it's clearly like you are there watching all the action--up close as if you are in the car or next to it. And wow, is it tense--as I found my arms and legs moving and contracting with the action. And, in this sense, it's a brilliant film and is the closest most of us will ever get to driving a race car ourselves. Exceptional but I cannot compare it to anything I've ever seen before--you just need to see this one to understand what I am talking about in my somewhat vague description. Sorry...it just seems to defy mere words.
