SummaryVisionary American car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and fearless British-born driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) battle corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans ...
SummaryVisionary American car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and fearless British-born driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) battle corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans ...
You’re going to watch Ford v Ferrari for the action, underdog story, and more-than-competent cast. Mangold also has the tone and pace of the film down perfectly. I would watch Ford v Ferrari over and over again.
Absolutely fantastic. I have no interest in car racing, but this story had me researching the 1960s history of Le Mans. Christian Bale drew me to this movie and he did not disappoint. His character's story arc is one of the most powerful I've see in a long time and he did an excellent job portraying that historical figure. Hearwrenching, inspiring, and informative. I enjoyed it thoroughly from start to finish.
For anyone who is a fan of cars and motor racing, this film is a great treat. His soundtrack is simply spectacular, and I can't forget to praise Christian Bale, Matt Damon and Jon Bernthal for everyone's excellent performance.
Slick, thrilling and saturated with vivid hues and 60s can-do optimism, Le Mans ’66, James Mangold’s follow-up to Logan, is a precision-tooled machine of a movie.
It is crammed with unearned emotional moments and factory-built male characters whose dedication to their sport we are expected to find adorable and heroic by turns.
The movie is as close to perfect as humanly possible, being not only hilarious and witty, but also emotional and heart wrenching. Amazing movie. RIP the GOAT.
Ford v Ferrari is a so-so film. I do not get why this film was nominated for best picture. It looked like a Christopher Nolan film with very little sense of where it was going. It's too focused on Ken Miles personal life rather than showing the challenges and difficulties of racing. Also, I was highly doubtful that it was historically accurate, with numerous things out of place. Sure, it's a brilliant technical achievement. The racing scenes are edited to perfection, while having some phenomenal sound effects. The special effects and cinematography are great and I fully support the fact that it won oscars for Sound and Editing. The score and performances are noteworthy. But when it comes to storytelling and script, it finishes before the finish line.
Once again we're treated to a rose-tinted view of events of the recent past, dramatised and watered-down a point where the film is trying to tell a story, but that story exists in a fantasy environment.
I'm all for family-orientated movies, but it's hard to watch a film about what is in effect corporate America in the early-mid '60s, and not have an aura of casual racism, sexism, ubiquitous alcohol consumption and pretty much everyone chainsmoking.
It just takes the viewer out of any 'moment' in the movie because it's just so sterile and fake.
So, it's another potentially great film ruined by the curse of the 'PG-13'/'12A' rating that prevents realism from being shown.
I can count on 1 finger how many racing car movies I have seen and though I may recall who was in them I don't remember any of them and, sadly, because I had heard good things about "Ford v Ferrari" it will probably be in the same category. Based on a true story, the screen writers Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth and Jason Keller, juggle 4-5 different stories to add human drama to the film while eliminating any one of them would have brought the movie in at a reasonable showing time, way less than the 2 hours and 30 minutes it runs.
At the same time the director James Mangold has one too many race scenes, one too many shots of a foot hitting the brakes, more shots than necessary to prove Ken Myles is eccentric or business owners and their employees can be underhanded and ruthless. Caitriona Balfe, though a bit difficult to understand, impressed me playing the wife of Christian Bale, who as driver Ken Myles, has been getting raves for his role, left me cold and also hard to understand. Matt Damon is, as always, impressive in a strong, somewhat silent way, as former champion driver and now designer of race cars. Tracy Letts in the role of Henry Ford II has a 2 minute moving and at the same time funny scene while being solid in the rest of the film. Josh Lucas as the boss's right hand man is an effective villain even if the role is a bit overwritten and obvious.
The banter between Damon and Bale tells a lot about both men but one segment, meant to be funny is only funny due to the reaction of Balfe while Bale's scenes with Noah Jupe, just right as his son, shows the man to be a good father.
The behind the scenes of business life certainly isn't new but the behind the scenes of the racing sport and business aspect of it and car companies is interesting.
Though you may know who the winner is, or will be, in "Ford v Ferrari" it will entertain you if you can get through the 30 to 40 minutes unnecessary segments.