Racing its way into our hearts is “Ford v Ferrari.”
Starring Matt Damon and Christan Bale, this movie takes your typical racing movie and completely transforms the genre. It tells the true story of how race car designer Caroll Shelby (Damon) and gritty, but down-to-earth race car driver Ken Miles (Bale) worked together to create a car for Ford that would challenge Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1966. Not only do they have to battle Ferrari, but the pair fight heavy adversity from inside the company as well.
The rivalry between the two car manufacturing giants was sparked when Ferrari backed out of a deal with Ford at the last minute and used Ford’s interest in buying the company as a way to push Fiat into buying them instead, which was a successful ploy.
Much of the subplot was about Shelby trying to prove to corporate that Miles was the only driver who could pull off driving the Ford GT40 to victory. Since Miles didn’t represent what a “Ford Man” should look or act like, it was an uphill battle for most of the film.
This movie is a must-watch for all car fans, either big or small. Even non-racing fans, such as myself, will see there is a whole lot more to this movie than just the cars. This movie has it all: drama, thrills, suspense, anticipation, romance, horror and more. Really, movie fans in general will agree there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Director James Mangold, who has also directed movies such as “Logan” and “Girl, Interrupted,” created some of his best work with “Ford v Ferrari” utilizing Bale’s amazingly transformative acting skills once again.
Car fans will appreciate watching this in theaters, as the sound of the GT40 is something not many people have been able to experience.
The character development was definitely a high point for this movie. Bale absolutely rocks the image of a hard-working, middle-class family man who has a temper that’s hard to handle. Damon also shined as a pill-popping racer whose glory days were behind him.
Overall, this film has my approval with a big two thumbs up. Mangold created a racing classic with this film that you’ll want to see over and over again.
