Summary
Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles attempt to build a car that can outrace Ferrari at the La Mons race.
My Thoughts:
Ford v. Ferrari tells the true story of Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon, “The Martian”) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale, “Vice”), who, after a feud is sparked between the two car companies, decide in 1966 to make a race car faster than that of Ferrari and win the 24 hour La Mons race that year, of which the former rival has taken home the top trophy for the past four years. With Shelby at the helm of the production, and Miles behind the wheel, tensions get strained and skills are put to the test, and we the audience are put right in the center of all the excitement, and there is much excitement in this beautifully human story, filled with heart pounding race sequences, and near perfect direction from James Mangold (“Logan”), Ford v. Ferrari may have been a sleeper pick this year at the awards, but it is definitely deserving of a best picture nod.
While I'm not the biggest advocate for sports flicks, Ford v. Ferrari really hit all the notes that make a great movie, this is a racing movie for people who really don't care about racing, Mangold takes his time to flesh out the characters first, letting them grow naturally, before giving the audience exhilarating race sequences that hold so much emotional heft after you know the stakes. It's like 2013s 'Rush', if that movie also had excitement off of the racetrack instead of the usual Ron Howard monotony. The characters are just as engrossing to watch as the races in this film, it's an impeccably well told story about these real life characters, and how, unfortunately, in the end big corporations always end up the winner. It's a big middle finger to big businesses and also a deep dive on those working class who keep the big businesses afloat, while the head executives at Ford (Tracy Letts, “Little Women” & Josh Lucas, “Breakthrough”) throw their money around and use big words, Ken Miles is down on track getting dirty, and winning the races, along with Shelby who has his back always, even when they clash with the head honchos.
I'm not really well versed when it comes to racing and the entities involved, so the fact that this movie engaged with me throughout its lengthy runtime is really something. From the first opening scene of Damon yelling at his pit crew that he doesn't care that he was on fire, to the intense showdown between the big wigs and Shelby/Miles, this film is booming with entertainment and a sharp script that brings the whole picture together. It's not the Italians overseas at Ferrari who are the villains, they are just a piece in the game, the bad guys are right here at home in front of our protagonists, everything is built from the bottom and it slowly progresses into an epic finale that had me both cheering for our heroes and booing at the Ford corporation.
Both Miles and Carroll are immensely likable, but not without their flaws, both have anger issues, Miles a bit more, and they butt heads more than once while working together, creating drama on the inside while overcoming the imminent threat of the race. Matt Damon does a solid job as expected, his performance is elevated by his co-star of course though. Christian Bale really blows it out of the park (once again, big surprise), he's such a transformative actor, that even rolls that are less intensive he still brings 110 percent and gives another career best performance, if it weren't such a strong year for acting I would have been more upset about his snub.The "fight" scene is a perfect example of who our characters are, while in a heated argument punches are thrown and Miles drops his load of groceries, the two ungracefully tussel in the grass outside Miles' home, Shelby first picks up a can to hit Miles with, but then opts for the very soft Wonder Bread and starts swinging. It's hilarious and also it shows that these two, despite having differences, have a bigger obstacle to get by than this little spat, it's a great turning point in the film that sets the final act into motion.
Ford v. Ferrari isn't only the best racing movie of the decade, it's also one of 2019s years strongest films, and I'm just as surprised as you are reading that. I went in with relatively high expectations just due to the director, and I came out with a whole new appreciation for the sport. Mangold puts you front and forward in the action, with some really impressive shots, the technical aspects alone make this one worth watching. But at its core this is a character driven piece with two career best performances from Bale and Damon as Shelby and Miles, who not only have their own issues to deal with, but also that of the big Ford corporation, and a race they are not willing to lose. This film has a bit of everything, from the personal tolls this project has on Miles and his wife and kid, to the exciting 24 hour race, or the inner workings of big business and what crooks they can be, Ford v. Ferrari is a perfect crowd pleasing movie, and overall one that I personally can't wait to watch again.
I give Ford v. Ferrari 5 stars out of 5
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