Ford v Ferrari Movie Review

The following is an article “Ford v Ferrari” by Marc Primo.

Release date: 15 November 2019 (USA)

Director: James Mangold

Language: English

Production Companies: Chernin Entertainment, TSG Entertainment, Turnpike Films

Producers: Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, James Mangold

The golden age of auto racing in the mid ‘60s certainly got itself a fresh makeover in James Mangold’s latest drama, Ford v Ferrari. If you are one of those viewers who are not familiar with how the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1966 panned out, then you’re in for one thrilling ride.

Both Christian Bale as professional race car driver Ken Miles and Matt Damon as former race car driver and automotive designer Carroll Shelby fit their roles perfectly, effectively building up that engaging tension against corporate suits that even non-car enthusiasts can get into. Scenes are directed by Mangold in a way that marries film elements with the romantic aspects of automobile history, with most car scenes revving up into exciting motion as more precise filmmaking elements like production design and cinematography make the flick a true winner.

Shelby and Miles are an ambitious tandem who buttress their auto racing ventures amidst the brewing competition between the auto corporations from Detroit, USA, and Modena, Italy. With the aim to defeat Ferrari under the Ford banner, both men struggle to make deals with the bureaucracies to take Miles on the driver’s seat for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Tensions build up in every race scene with faulty doors manifesting during race day, unready design units going awry, and even near fatal brake failures. However, those instances where Shelby and Miles fight off the suits are equally as effective in making audiences’ hearts pound.

Veering away from comparisons to the recent DiCaprio-Pitt starrer Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, this cool guy duo’s penchant for engineering and determination in building the ultimate racing machine brings out more macho in an otherwise bromance epic. The glory of ‘60s car racing is also evident in every grease and garage homage that draw out more sexuality to the sport, despite how Shelby and Miles are somehow opposites in terms of their personal lives. How both are driven against corporate interference to pursue their syncing creative imaginations defines the ‘sexy’ in this one.

Equally commendable for their roles are Tracy Lets as Henry Ford II, John Berthal as Ford VP Lee Iacocca, Remo Girone as patriarch Enzo Ferrari, and Josh Lucas as suit Leo Beebe who serves as the main villain with a strong disdain for Miles being “not a Ford Man”. The cast truly makes it work in how the corporate intrigue fuels the raceway drama in a way that audiences will definitely find themselves rooting for the win.

Ford v Ferrari is one ride that pulsates both on and off the road and sets itself apart from other genre favorites like The Fast and The Furious series or 2013’s Rush by telling a story filled with emphatic wins and losses. Whether you’re a car racing fan or not, this is one hell of a ride that will keep you revved for 152 high-octane minutes.

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