Movie Review: Ford v Ferrari

Ford v Ferrari **** / *****

Directed by: James Mangold.

Written by: Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth and Jason Keller.

Starring: Christian Bale (Ken Miles), Matt Damon (Carroll Shelby), Caitriona Balfe (Mollie Miles), Jon Bernthal (Lee Iacocca), JJ Feild (Roy Lunn), Josh Lucas (Leo Beebe), Ray McKinnon (Phil Remington), Noah Jupe (Peter Miles), Tracy Letts (Henry Ford II), Ian Harding (Jimmy), Wallace Langham (Dr. Granger), Rudolf Martin (Dieter Voss), Jonathan LaPaglia (Eddie), Marisa Petroro (Mrs. Henry Ford II), Jack McMullen (Charlie Agapiou), Adam Mayfield (Lloyd Ruby), Ward Horton (Burt), Brad Beyer (Wayne), Benjamin Rigby (Bruce McLaren), Christopher Darga (John Holman), Michael Gough (Le Mans Announcer), Remo Girone (Enzo Ferrari).

 

Ford v Ferrari is a period piece and a throwback in more ways than one. It wasn’t all that long ago – 15-20 years perhaps – when films like Ford v Ferrari were common place from Hollywood studios – mainstream, muscular filmmaking, aimed at an adult audience that wouldn’t challenge people per se, but would certainly entertain them with a film that simply fires on all cylinders. Now, of course, we rarely get films like this at all any more – and the ones we get are considered risky. I don’t necessarily think Ford v Ferrari is a great film – but it’s a very good one, and the type of film we should be seeing in theaters at least once a month, not once a year if we’re lucky.

 

The film streamlines its 1960s set true story to make everything more dramatic and tension filled – but it works. When the film opens, Carrol Shelby (Matt Damon) has had to give up car racing because of his heart, and now spends his time in car sales, race management and car design – and kind of barely making ends meet. One of his drivers, and friends, is Ken Miles (Christian Bale) – a British hothead, who may be a genius on the track, and loved by his wife (who for once doesn’t scold her husband for his dangerous job – but isn’t given much of a personality at all otherwise) and young son, but he’s also more than a little bit of an asshole. Shelby is approached by the head of Ford’s marketing department – Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) – about designing a car that can go up against Ferrari at the 24-hour race at Le Mans. Iacocca’s first plan, to simply buy Ferrari, ends poorly – with Enzo Ferrari insulting everyone, including Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts), whose ego is hurt enough to dump millions into the program. But Shelby and Miles are rebels who go their own way – and that rubs Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas) the wrong way – he’s a Ford Exec and toady, who wants things done the “Ford way”.

 

The film was directed by James Mangold, who isn’t the most exciting filmmaker in the world, but he is the kind who knows how to make these kind of big, mainstream films without superheroes and still make them entertaining on a large scale (and hell, even with superheroes – as his Logan is one of the best in the genre). He pulls that trick off again here. The racing scenes in the film are genuinely exciting – Miles wife talks about liking to feel the vibrations of the cars, and through the excellent sound work on the film, you’ll feel those vibrations as well. The film makes racing look fun, while all the time letting you know just how dangerous it could be at the same time. The entire last act of the film is set at Le Mans – with the various personal dramas playing out, at the same time as Miles is running the race of his life. It is genuinely thrilling.

 

And Damon and Bale are well cast, well matched leads. Christian Bale is excellent at playing driven assholes – and that’s what he does here. He has his principles, and he won’t compromise on them, consequences be damned. He softens a little as the film moves along – but only so much. Damon probably has the slightly more complicated role – he’s principled as well, but perhaps a little more willing to tow the company line until they push him just a little too far. Your tolerance for this movie will depend on your tolerance for the type of “boys will be boys” tomfoolery that dominates much of the movie. It’s lightweight, non-toxic masculinity stuff – but they lay it on a little thick.

 

And then it all comes down to the ending, and Ford v Ferrari completely and totally nails it. It nails it when the Le Mans race ends, it nails it in the tragic scene right after, and it absolutely nails it in the final scene. Yes, it is designed to get the men in the audience to cry – but it will work. Overall Ford v Ferrari is the type of mainstream film I really wish we saw more of. No, it doesn’t challenge you all that much – but it delivers exactly what it promises to, with everyone at the top of their game. Hollywood needs more movies like this.