Le Mans '66

Jesus Christ - Bale does it again.

Great script, great casting, incredible acting from everyone, but especially Bale.

I've never watched a car race in my life. I have absolutely no knowledge of the historic events surrounding the Ford and Ferrari motor companies. None of those two things mattered in my viewing experience of "Ford v Ferrari". Not only does it allow the viewer to be a complete clean slate, but it provides the utmost of entertainment on almost every front.

For a very basic overview, this movie tells the story of how the Ford Motor Company was struggling in the 1960s and thus turned to racing cars to give their image a boost. The problem? For years, Ferrari has been the gold standard in that theater. But with Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) overseeing the project and the volatile Ken Miles (Christian Bale) in the driver's seat, they set out to take down Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

One of the main strengths of "Ford v Ferrari" is that it tells a bunch of different stories within the basic framework. Not only is it the clash that the title anticipates, but also a story of personal redemption for Shelby, one of personal goal-achievement for Miles, and even a healthy dose of "big corporation screwing over the little guy" thrown in. All of those angles are very distinct, with nothing muddled along the way. The 2.5 hour runtime really helps with this, allowing such arcs to play out in their entirety.

The acting is also incredible from basically the entire cast. Bale gives a unique, quirky performance as seemingly only he can, Damon is solid (as always), and everyone else does their part admirably. Especially affecting are Miles' wife Mollie (Caitriona Balfe) and son Peter (Noah Jupe), who both provide much of the sentimental emotions present in the film. A specific scene where Ken explains to Peter exactly what he does on each individual racing lap is as good as acting gets.

There's also a never-ending sense of forward momentum and just overall fun to "Ford v Ferrari". It never takes itself too seriously, yet it isn't a comedy. It's long, but doesn't feel that way due to the expert pacing--a perfect balance of pulse-pounding action scenes and slower, more emotional scenes within the understated 1960s period feel. Director James Mangold probably deserves a good amount of the credit for making this all congeal together as well as it did.

Overall, this is a spectacular film precisely because it can hit audiences in so many different ways. Whether through the action, emotion, true story, or underlying themes, most viewers will be able to find something to enjoy here. Even if, like I said before, no previously knowledge of racing is present.

A lot of notes were hit by Ford v Ferrari. The characters are fleshed out very well and give you the emotional attachment you're looking for in a movie. Bale and Damon's performances are great; they pull you into the story and completely disappear into their roles. James Mangold proves, once again, to be a master behind the camera. The action scenes are shot to perfection and will have you biting your nails.

The film's technical aspects were top-notch as well. Wait for this film to be nominated for sound design and editing. These technical aspects, during the climax of the film, will blow your hair back and give you goosebumps.

All in all, this film provides a pleasing experience for the crowd that not many films can even come close to delivering. I loved about every second of it, despite its long runtime.

To start off, I have always hated racing. Yes, hated. It think it's a ridiculous waste of resources, and boring to watch. I have zero interest in cars - and thus I know absolutely nothing of the history. I knew nothing of this film beyond reading the blurb before I started watching it, so I was very interested to see whether I would like it at all. I did. Despite being so uninterested in the subject, the film got me interested in the story, and especially during the final race I was on the edge of seat not knowing what would happen. Fantastic acting job from both Damon and Bale, usual. They never disappoint. Excellent writing, directing, cutting, sound editing.. A very whole package overall.

To finish off; I am STILL not interested in cars or racing, but this film stands on its own even so.

Biopics can be a hard sell at times. Whether you're diving into the troubled life of an addict or exploring someone's sexuality, there are many touchy subjects these days. With that said, I feel there are also those that will stand the test of time, in terms of being able to please a wide audience. Ford v Ferrari is one of the latest true stories out of Hollywood that will be hitting the big screen soon, and here's why I believe it absolutely deserves attention.

Following multiple characters throughout, Ford v Ferrari focussed on the fact that Henry Ford II was given an idea to create the fastest race car in the world. His mission is to take down the likes of the company Ferrari, who have held the title for years. Carol Shelby (Matt Damon) is approached by a member of the Ford team and is recruited, only to be the one finding himself recruiting the driver in Ken Miles (Christian Bale). That's the core premise and there's a lot to dive into from there.

If you're a fan of racing or cars in general, this movie will be for you. This is a very well-directed film by James Mangold, and the racing sequences are quite long, taking up a good chunk of the nearly 150-minute run time. Luckily, they are very intense, practically shot, with a fantastic score to back it up, and sound effects to get your heart pumping. Everything about the exciting aspects of this film was top notch.

Christian Bale and Matt Damon give stellar performances here as the two leading men in the film and I totally bought their rigid friendship that slowly developed. Sadly, without giving anything away, there is an incident that I feel was not explored enough, which slightly took away when a certain moment is meant to impact the movie. Other than that, this is a fantastic movie from beginning to end.

In the end, Ford v Ferrari is engaging, emotional, and downright thrilling when it wants to be. I was invested in these characters and on the edge of my seat during the climactic races. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with this movie. There is a missed opportunity in terms of emotion during a certain scene, but I was able to forgive that, seeing as the rest of the movie was so impressive. Ford v Ferrari is one of the best movies I've seen so far this year and it will be one to see when it officially releases.