Ford v Ferrari

Score:  A

Directed by James Mangold
Starring Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Caitriona Balfe, Jon Bernthal
Running time: 152 minutes
Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  Ford v Ferrari tells the exciting yet complex tale of an historic race, the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, which ultimately came down to the close bond between two friends.  Those friends are played by titans of Hollywood, Christian Bale and Matt Damon, and they are worth every penny and more that they made.  Surrounded by a strong supporting cast, the leads excel at creating both race track excitement and moments of hilarity.  Come for the stars, and enjoy one of the most well-rounded, entertaining films in recent years.  Highly recommended.


In 1963, Henry Ford II was nervous.  Heir to one of the most famous industrialists of the 20th century, Ford had begun to struggle against his competition.  Nerves turned to rage after being humiliated by the iconic Ferrari, and so he became determined to beat the Italian car company at their own game.  Ford turned to Carroll Shelby (Damon), winner of the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France, to lead a racing team.  While Shelby took to designing a powerful new car, he had stopped racing himself due to a heart condition, and so recruited his brilliant but volatile driver friend Ken Miles (Bale).  Even as the two got to work on the technical challenges of their mission, though, they found themselves opposed by other forces within the Ford company itself before even getting to the race track.

Ford v Ferrari boasts an impressive cast that brings its outsized personalities to life.  Christian Bale is the co-lead as the prickly British race car driver Ken Miles, and he is predictably outstanding in the role.  I've long been a fan of Bale, but his recent string of performances (The Big Short, Vice) has elevated him in my view to one of the best - if not the best - contemporary actors.  Finally employing his native accent, Bale clearly relishes playing the hotheaded master of the race track, fully bringing out the humor and awe it entails but also presenting him as a sympathetic, believable man out of the car.  From struggling with his day job to singing with his son to negotiating with his wife, Bale creates both a very compelling as well as entertaining character.  Add in the nuanced physical traits and tics that Bale does so well, and it's another bravura performance.  Matt Damon, a great actor himself, can't help but be overshadowed.  Yet he does excellent work, too: part Ocean's Eleven-type cool/competent dude, part weary but savvy veteran of his trade, Damon is the perfect yin to Bale's yang.  At times almost an audience surrogate, Damon's Shelby is particularly crucial (and effective) at outmaneuvering scheming Ford executives.  The rest are supporting roles, but there are plenty of good ones.  Top of the list is Caitriona Balfe playing Miles's wife; she's a strong and supportive yet independent woman, with one particularly good scene in which she turns the racing car tables on her husband.  Jon Bernthal doesn't play his usual tough guy asshole (which he excels at) here, but does a nice job as one of the few good guy Ford execs.  Tracy Letts as Henry Ford II and Ray McKinnon as a racing team member are also fun parts in this super cast.

Ford v Ferrari is a fairly straightforward, uncomplicated film, but its overall strength, particularly in its performances and main set pieces, make it a terrific if traditional Hollywood effort.  You'll probably be familiar with the basic premise:  out of a feud between organizations, a scrappy team is assembled that must overcome all sorts of challenges to prevail.  Interestingly, the film portrays the team's sponsoring organization - Ford - as practically the villain.  That's impressive in its own right, due to today's climate of films currying favor with if not explicitly giving them product placement ads for mega-brands (also fun to poke a finger in the eye of arrogant and abusive corporate executives, but I digress).  It also allow the audience to focus even more specifically on the success and well-being of the team itself; despite not caring for car racing at all myself, I felt fully invested.  Clearly a lot of care, thought, and effort was put into the car races themselves, dazzling in their variety and excitement.  You've got everything from a dusty, backyard-league-type race, to glitzy NASCAR-like fanfare to prestigious, weighty affairs in the Le Mans race itself.  Not only do the settings differ significantly, but the stakes and the challenges in each are unique (most involving the crucial human  element).  Even the training scenes can be breathtaking, thanks in large part to Bale's committed, intense performance, and often involve humor, none better than Damon's taking Henry Ford on a bowel-loosening joyride through an obstacle course.  Speaking of humor, there is plenty of it; not only are Bale and Damon terrific in their timing, but some scenes left me howling, such as a throwback, middle school-like brawl between the two stars as Mrs. Miles looks on, bemused.  The boardroom intrigue, race car action, and consistent laughs flow together so well that the two-and-a-half hour run time just flies by.  The end is admittedly a bit abrupt, just as in a car race, but it's ultimately appropriately done.  It's not all happily-ever-after; there are searing losses and wonderful journeys concluded, in a few well-placed, poignant dramatic moments.

***

In a very up-and-down year at the movies, Ford v Ferrari is an extremely enjoyable triumph.  The film doesn't really go with the newest Hollywood trends, let alone try to break new ground; though it does subtly hint at some important themes in society (timeless themes, at that).  Still, it does a great job effectively blending the classic style of film with something that feels modern; otherwise, it ran the risk of feeling rather stale.  As a non-racing car fan, I can confirm that others like me will find this plenty enjoyable; if anything, I found myself more intrigued by some of the minutiae of the sport that gets bandied about than I would have thought possible.  And that's attributable to just how connected I felt to the team, led by Bale and Damon's characters.  I highly recommend this for any and all audiences.



* By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60921288