Review by jack : Ford vs Ferrari.

 

“Ford versus Ferrari is exhilarating high-speed drama and this true story have enough torque to blow you away. Its based on a real-life story about the Ford Motor Company to create a car fast enough to beat the Italian car maker Ferrari who's dominated the 24-hour LeMans race he also recruits a hard-nosed driver to give his racing team the advantage to finally take down Ferrari and how they do it, well that’s what gonna blow your mind.”

 

                      Ford vs Ferrari (Titled Le Mans'66 in Europe) starring Matt Damon, Christian Bale, and Tracy Letts, and was directed by James Mangold. It tells the real-life story of the Ford team led by Carroll Shelby  played by Matt Damon, and driver Ken Miles  played by  Christian Bale, as they try to design and build a Ford  race car capable of beating Ferrari at the 1966 ‘24 Hours of Le Mans race’. Competitions and especially underdog stories are just so much more exciting when you don’t already know how they are gonna end. So although the events of the 1966 Le Mans have been known to people in car circles for more than 50 years, but I doubt that hardly few people know about 1966 or even what ‘Le Mans’ is in our country. But, I will say though that that mystery alone isn’t enough to make a good racing movie or any kind of sports movie for that matter. It needs to be about more than just the climatic final race and Ford v Ferrari has that, so this is a film that will still work even if you already known the story.

                       The story focuses on Ford motor company which is struggling to compete in market. As a means to boost their car sale Lee Iacocca (VP Ford) suggest Henry Ford II to purchase crash-trapped Ferrari to participate in ‘24hr Le Mans race’ as Ferrari has existing presence. But Scuderia Ferrari joins hands with Fiat, rejecting Fords deal also intentionally insult both Ford Motor Co. & Henry Ford II. In response Henry Ford II ordered his development division to design a race car to defeat Ferrari at Le Mans which is existing champion. And to do this nearly impossible job Lee Iacocca hire  Former Le Mans champion Carroll Shellby (Owner of Shellby American) & Shellby enlist Ken Miles a hot head british racer. And that’s how Ford vs Ferrari rivalary begins and rest is the history. As I mentioned nearly impossible because, It’s impossible to design a race car in time of few months, also to defeat ongoing champion in Track as well as Technology with that same car.

                        A big factor that really contributes to movie is the quality of performances, especially from Matt Damon and Christian Bale. These characters felt so real. They felt lived in if you had a little sense of history, otherwise just google the names and you won’t regreat it. Damon as the smooth-talking legend struggling to find a middle-ground between two very different approaches to racing and Bale as the hot-headed, but incredibly skilled mechanic and racer. But, it is when these two characters are together that they are at their best. They are so different, but complement each other extremely well and the history and friendship between the two really shines through. Having a believable set of characters to provide the backbone of a story like this is important.

                          Well, let me tell you this movie does not disappoint. When it comes to sporting events, I really can’t think of anything that ís more magnificient than watching cars drive around in circles and the thrilling roar. Car races in movies are obviously a bit more exciting than what we see on tv, but still  there is only so much you can do with it. Seriously, if they had filmed all 24 hours of the Le Man in this style, I would have enjoyed watching it. This movie doesn’t use the same two or three camera angles of the cars that you see in almost every other racing movie. There are shots during these racing sequences Live never seen before. More often than not, you are right in the car with them and it makes for some incredibly exciting sequences. The visuals and cinematography during the racing portions of this film are fantastic.

                           Ford v Ferrari is a period piece, so it’s got that 60s aesthetic we have come to expect from a movie like this, but it’s also full of these wonderful, but subtle shots that I think might go under people’s radar, especially when compared to the action-intensive racing scenes. Things like perfectly framed reflections in a character’s  sunglasses. “There was one shot that really stood out to me as exceptionally well done. It comes about halfway through the movie and Miles is working on a car alone at night. He is in a hangar at an airstrip and he ís surrounded by other cars  & works in progress. And as he works, he ís listening to a race on the radio. We hear the announcers and the sounds of cars speeding around a track and at that moment a plane turns out of another hangar, casting a lot of light into the hangar that Miles is working in which puts all these shadows on the wall from the cars around him. And, as it turns, it gives the illusion that these shadows are moving like the cars in the race he ís listening to are. It ís a really quick moment, but this movie is full of little things like that really help to raise this one a bit higher  than other similar movies. I was engrossed and really invested in the story.”

Alright let’s talk about the pros and cons.

Pros: 1. It has definitely gotta be the racing sequences. Ford v Ferrari is distinctively different when it comes to filming and editing these racing sequences. It also has a ton of shots from within the car. This gives us unique angles of the driver and a view of everything that goes on inside during a race, but I think more importantly, it physically puts us inside the car.  

2.The performances,most notably Matt Damon and Christian Bale as Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, respectively. These are both high-caliber actors, so we expect good performances from them. And that is what we get : good performances.They just feel like regular guys. Regular guys who built and drove cars that could go 200 miles per hour.

3. I especially liked performance of Christian Bale where he struggles with faulty door in First Lap and Trying to make lead. He acted with such a conviction as you could feel his dilemma, to which car drivers definitely gonna connect with. Also couple of scenes where he makes you feel thrill of controlling brake failed/faulty car.

Cons: The only issue I really had was the thin family relationships. The characters are a bit underdeveloped and the relationships between Miles & his wife feel paper thin. Maybe that ís how it really was with his family.

                          I would recommend Ford v Ferrari to two types of people. The first and probably most obvious is to fans of cars and racing. If you know about these cars and these people, and these races, then you are gonna enjoy this.You get to watch the design and testing of the GT40. It ís got some technical stuff and obviously focuses on a car story, but this is a surprisingly accessible movie that even somebody who ís not into cars will enjoy. If you liked Ford v Ferrari, I would recommend Rush. It’s another period racing film with some very intense race sequences that focuses on a real life rivalry. If you want some more Le Mans action and donít mind an older, fictional story, you might want to check out Steve McQueen in Le Mans.

 

 Well, I have two questions for you, number one: Have you seen Ford v Ferrari? If so, what you think of it? And number two: What ís your favorite racing movie? Be sure to leave your answers in the comments below.