Directed by:
James MangoldCinematography:
Phedon PapamichaelCast:
Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Caitríona Balfe, Tracy Letts, Josh Lucas, Noah Jupe, Remo Girone, Ray McKinnon, JJ Feild, Corrado Invernizzi (more)VOD (4)
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Based on a true story, an eccentric, determined team of American engineers and designers, led by automotive visionary Carroll Shelby and his British driver, Ken Miles, are dispatched by Henry Ford II with the mission of building from scratch an entirely new race car with the potential to finally defeat the perennially dominant Ferrari at the 1966 Le Mans World Championship. (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (18)
A memorial to Ken Miles and his friendship with Carroll Shelby. Mangold directs the wonderfully clear screenplay so surehandedly that the two and a half hours spent in the theater just fly by. Ford v Ferrari is a real hit with fantastic race scenes, one-liners from Bale with his brutal British accent and Shelby’s talent as a saboteur. The fight with the big corporation encumbered with a bureaucratic system and dumb managerial decisions works just fine (and in itself mirrors today’s ridiculous times when they couldn’t get the rights to use the title Ford v Ferrari inside the European Union), but it all stands on the performances of Bale, Damon and the Ford GT40.
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Mangold, as always, follows the path of least resistance. This gasoline-soaked bromance thus favors cliche and simple shortcuts over complexity. Sometimes, Mangold's routine is funny (the way he helps himself by creating a disgusting villain, a B-movie caricature of a Ferrari driver), sometimes it’s a little irritating (will the directors really keep only giving Bernthal roles to play in a coma?), but mostly it’s just straightforward fun. The racing sequences are shot with confidence and with the pedal to the floor. Bale and Damon talk about electric innovations, and the former can conjure more intensity with his expression behind the wheel than the spectacular somersaults of racing cars at the curb of a country road in Le Mans. This film praises honest garage guys who face the dementia of people in suits with their hearts and over sensitivity. Just like Rush, it’s impossible not to like it. At the same time, however, one cannot get rid of the feeling that the best story in the history of motorsport has more horses under the hood than Mangold was able to take advantage of. He is simply such a reliable Ford van with a stable, bubbling diesel engine. Not a passionate twelve-cylinder.
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A spectacle as intoxicating as the speed of a race car, perfectly filmed, with amazing sound... It's movies like this, that take me "right there" for a few hours, that make me love cinema the most. In fact, I knew almost nothing about the story of this famous race, and thanks to that it never ceased to surprise me from the beginning to the very end, entertaining me with its speed, insight, and relaxed atmosphere, and constantly seeming to say "It's not over yet, wait for the finale." I waited, and I have to say that this is to Le Mans '66 what a Live Aid concertis to, say, Bohemian Rhapsody – a huge spectacle, enthusiastic and enthralling. Christian Bale is an absolute standout (I realized I last saw him in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises and that's quite a shame) and he's as good with Matt Damon as, say, Robert Redford was back in the day with Paul Newman. James Mangold's direction is precise and the idea of the film is beautiful. I hope there's a book about Ken Miles now.
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If you missed Rush, it's a pity that no one made a follow-up with a similar type of film. But you don't have to be sad anymore, because Ford v Ferrari is exactly the same petrol-scented racing “fairy tale made by men, for men". This time it’s about how a legend and one of the most iconic racing cars of all time was born. Mangold, whether on the track or behind the scenes, puts the pedal to the metal for two and a half hours, the races are pumped full of adrenaline, the characters are strong, the tension and the bets are tangible, the stylization of all participants including the racers, sponsors and bureaucracy is first rate, and everything is depicted with humor and drama. And in terms of craftsmanship, it couldn't have been any better. And the bunch of actors really enjoying the show is just the icing on the cake. The less academically biographical or historically precise, the more riveting and more stylish. And, above all, better.
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5th best movie may be an exaggeration, but the best movie about racing it is without a doubt. James Mangold emerges as a guarantee of great quality, serving up a nerve-wracking tale of the most challenging Le Mans race, with both Christian Bale and Matt Damon excelling. At first I struggled to fully immerse myself in the film, but once the car testing began and the actual half hour race itself, packed with complications and suspense, it was a blast. I probably don't need to see it again, but I enjoyed it. 8/10
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