James Mangold’s Ford v Ferrari (Logan, Walk the Line) is the perfect movie to see in the theatre. It has action. It has drama. It has a clear protagonist. It makes you want to stand up and cheer for the good guys. This racing movie is much better viewed on the big screen than on a small screen at home. Likewise, a movie theater’s surround system beats any home setup. That said, this movie has gotten much better acclaim (91% critics, 98% audience on Rotten Tomatoes) than it probably deserves. I haven’t seen many racecar movies, but this one falls short compared to Rush. Still, it is a good, highly entertaining movie.
In California, Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting, The Martian) stars as Carroll Shelby, a former professional driver who is forced into retirement in 1960 because of a heart condition. He decides to go into car sales, where he excels at selling modern sports cars because he is an extraordinary vehicle designer and engineer. He is likable and has a proven record as a winning driver. His friend Ken Miles (Christian Bale – The Fighter, The Dark Knight Rises) is also a racecar driver currently working as a mechanic in his shop. His wife, Mollie (Caitriona Balfe – Money Monster, Now You See Me), and son, Peter (Noah Jupe – Honey Boy, A Quiet Place), love their husband/father. Still, he struggles to keep his business and his racing afloat (the IRS comes calling and temporarily shuts down his garage) and decides to give up his dream of driving to better support his family. The somewhat unpredictable Ken can sometimes get angry with customers. But he’s a tell-it-as-it-is kind of guy who takes his work, driving, and family very seriously, even if he can sometimes come across as crass.
Meanwhile, in Detroit, Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts – Lady Bird, The Post) shuts down his assembly line and lashes out at his blue-collar and white-collar workers. Sales are down, and the company is in danger. He threatens to fire everyone, but offers his subordinates a chance to pitch ideas to boost sales and save the business. Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal – Widows, Wind River) pitches him an idea – the sexiest cars are race cars, like Ferraris. He recommends Ford compete in the 24-hour Le Mans race in France to become the first American company to win the annual race.
To help design a sports car that can compete, Ford, Iacocca, and Ford Vice President Leo Bebee (Josh Lucas – Glory Road, The Lincoln Lawyer) enlist Carroll to head their racing team, where he would design and test cars. Carroll agrees and goes to Ken, the best driver he knows, to help him. At $200 a day, Ken needs little convincing to let Mollie agree to the job. The problem is that Ken doesn’t have the qualities of a Ford man, and Leo immediately points that out. The two men have a power struggle, but Leo ultimately has the final say on who will drive.
Saying things go differently than planned along the way would be wrong, even though this movie is pretty darn predictable from this point forward. Ken goes through a few tests that, if he passes them, could make him Ford’s Le Mans racer. The best part of the movie is the characters. Mangold crafts each with unique characteristics. The key players are discernible. That isn’t always the case in many movies, let alone sports movies. Our heroes are Carroll, Ken, and fellow mechanic Phil (Ray McKinnon – Mud, The Blind Side). Our antagonist isn’t Ferrari but Leo, who is so bent on keeping the driver and team away that it almost seems he wants his own company to lose. He provides nothing but roadblocks while providing little support. Lee is great as the man who toes the line between a company man and someone who wants to see his plan executed.
As good as the sub-characters are, this show belongs to Damon and Bale. Both have never been better. Damon needed a hit. His last real box office and critical success was 2015’s The Martian. That’s a long time for one of Hollywood’s leading men, with the less-than-stellar Jason Bourne, Suburbanite, Downsizing, and The Great Wall between The Martian and Ford v Ferrari. His steady performance contrasted perfectly with the erratic Ken and his distinctive nuances. In a career that keeps improving, Bale’s Ken is one of his more memorable performances (which is saying a lot). He’ll be in contention for a Best Supporting Actor nomination.
The visuals were just okay. None of the driving was CGI, but I still felt like I wasn’t part of these races, even though I felt like I could have been. The Le Mans race also feels different from a typical race. I’m also not sure I understand all the race rules. It is unclear how they decide which drivers race and when. Ken swapped out with another unidentifiable driver. And it was never really explained. The ending, while accurate, was cheesy. The music felt very 1960s and gave the movie a friendly and light feel. This certainly wasn’t a heavy drama but a good family movie. It’s rated PG-13, but it’s appropriate for students older than 10. I sat next to some kids that age, and they stayed engaged the whole time despite the 151-minute runtime.
Plot 9/10
Character Development 10/10
Character Chemistry 10/10
Acting 9.5/10
Screenplay 8.5/10
Directing 9/10
Cinematography 8.5/10
Sound 8/10
Hook and Reel 10/10
Universal Relevance 9/10
91.5%
B+
Movies You Might Like If You Liked This Movie
Good stuff BB!