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Ford v Ferrari is directed by James Mangold and stars Matt Damon and Christian Bale as automotive engineer and designer Carroll Shelby and his race car driver and friend Ken Miles respectively. It follows the real-life behind-the-scenes of the 1996 24 hours of Le Mans, an annual 24 hour-long sports car race that takes place near the town of Le Mans, France.
Now this movie came out a week ago, so unlike the namesakes of the movie we weren’t exactly fast with this review. But with an excellent movie like this, it’s better late than never. And yes this movie is really, really good.
Let’s start with the performances. Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby has charm to spare, as characters portrayed by Matt Damon often do. This a man that has a deep passion for cars and car races and knows them like the palm of his hand. He’s a man with a solid vision of how to get stuff done and he knows it’s the right one and he will fight for it. But when it comes to his pal Ken, sometimes he has to be the straight man, be more realistic, which makes his character very well balanced.
And speaking of Ken Miles, Christian Bale was fenomenal in the role. Even though Damon was great, it was Bale that stole the show every time. He too has passion for cars especially when he’s at the wheel, where you feel like he really understands the machine. But he’s much more vocal about it, which reflects in his hot temper and savage remarks. In the end though, he’s a hard shell concealing a soft interior shown his relationship with his wife Mollie and his son Peter and, most importantly, his friendship with Shelby. And his angry moments are simply a symptom of his dedication for the sport.
Even actors in minor roles did a phenomenal job, such is the case with Caitriona Balfe as Mollie Miles and Jon Bernthal as Lee Iacocca. And as for Josh Lucas as Leo Beebe, I thought at first that it was a very cliche portrayal of a corporate jerk but it actually works well for the story because at first he seems like a silly gag, a minor roadblock for the lead characters, but his actions end up having really bad ramifications for the plot. And in the end, it’s still a good performance since Lucas is a natural in these roles.
And if were talking directors, we have at the helm one of the best directors working today: James Mangold. More often than not, Mangold has made some of the best movies of these past two decades, with masterpieces like 3:10 to Yuma and Logan. And he shows his talent once again in this movie. The first thing to note is that he infused a lot of comedy in this biopic, and yet it never feels outplace. It comes very naturally from how the different characters act and it always got a laugh out of me.
But when the comes time for drama, you really feel the stakes of what’s at play, and you really feel emotionally connected with the characters from their happiest and saddest moments because they feel like real people, which is, of course, what every biopic should strive for.
Also very impressive is the way this movie is shot. There’s a nice variety, with scenes taking place in offices being very tight to make you feel the importance and seriousness of what’s being discussed and wide shots to make the race tracks look and feel majestic and complex.
This works extremely well when it gets to the races, which don’t happen very often, since this is a biopic, but are satisfying as heck when they do. The more enclosed shots are used for the interior to make you see the emotion and character on the racers and feel the intensity and wide shots are used for the cars and the race track, with many different angles and very few cut-ways, so you can always tell what’s going on. With all these elements combined, these races will put any spectator on the edge of the seat. They put any and all of the Fast and Furious movies to shame.
Also, this movie will be for car junkies what MCU movies are for comic book fans. I know this because my dad, who I went to see movie with, wouldn’t shut up about the various car facts brought up by the movie, and I LOVED IT. But the movie has it both ways, since you don’t need to be a car expert to understand it. Because the story has a something that’s universal and timeless: a message.
The title Ford v Ferrari doesn’t really represent the plot very well, in fact the title we have here in Europe, Le Mans’ 66, is much better and more accurate. It’s a misleading title, although it might be intentional. There’s only a few scenes that showcase the rivalry between the two companies, which I thought broke up the pace a bit but they’re actually important to bring a different perspective and insight into the motivations of the people working at Ford. But more often than not it’s about Shelby and Miles having to fight for their creativity, of which there’s surprisingly a lot of in both building and racing cars, against the executives and marketing team at Ford, with their more orthodox methods, who only think about money and see the people they hire as tool.
And that’s the theme. The creative process vs. the corporate process and how it often blocks the artistic minds. It’s a concept not exclusive to car races, in fact it’s been very present recently with the campaign to release the original Justice League cut by Zack Snyder after it was drastically altered by Warner Bros. It’s a simple yet powerful message: if you have a dream that your passionate about and feel very certain of its success, don’t let anyone stop you from accomplishing it, as well listening to those who truly care about you and your dream and whose advice, even when you don’t like it, is there to help you on your journey. And Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles are the perfect vessels to carry that message, with so much love and dedication for cars that it’s literally in their names.
Are there negatives? Well if so, they’re very minor. I actually saw this movie last week but was to afraid that the hype I had for the movie would cloud my judgement. But as I mentioned, all the major problems I found i quickly wrote off as nitpicks. This movie is masterful and many people seem to agree. If you haven’t already, do check it out. It will definitely be an alternative to anyone who is still sick of Frozen. Although Avengers: Endgame is still my favorite movie of the year, but this one is a close second and the one I think should win Best Picture at the Oscars next year. And bonus points for being a good father-son bonding moment for me.
10/10
Written by: Miguel Coelho
Have you seen Ford v Ferrari? If so, did you have a good time or got something out of it? Share your thoughts in the comments, and for more reviews on other movies, be sure to follow The Cinema Spot (@TheCinemaSpot) and me (@Miguel42Coelho) on Twitter.
