Ford v Ferrari (2019) Movie Review
Ford v Ferrari (2019) Movie Review
Going to a movie theater and actually seeing a movie is a great experience, especially when a special occasion is being celebrated. On past Thanksgivings I’ve gone and seen movies like Creed II last year and even The Muppets in 2011. This Thanksgiving I went and saw Ford v Ferrari, a new film about Ford Motor Company competing with Ferrari for the 1966 Le Mans race. I’m not old enough to drive yet, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying this movie for what it has to offer. I didn’t exactly know what to expect going into Ford v Ferrari, but I’m very happy to say that this film is a great holiday movie and will probably go down in history as one of the best car racing movies out there (second only to 2 Fast 2 Furious).
The year is 1963, and Ford is having a difficult time staying relevant and prosperous. Due to declines in sales, Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) asks his employees to come up with an idea that will save the company. Vice president of the company Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) proposes to Ford and his opinionated right-hand-man Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas) that the company should go into the car racing business. The idea is reviled at first, but with the help of Caroll Shelby (Matt Damon), the owner of Shelby American, Ford is able to get a racing department off the ground. Their biggest competition is Ferrari, who Iacocca tries to work with but doesn’t succeed because of Enzo Ferrari’s (Remo Girone) disagreements with Ford’s offers. Ford and Ferrari go head to head for the crown at the 1964 Les Mans car race, but Ford doesn’t even come close to beating the competition. Shelby knows that this is because the best driver around, mechanic Ken Miles (Christian Bale), wasn’t allowed to participate for Ford because his unstable personality and unpredictable antics. Miles goes on to win that year’s Daytona race and is allowed to race in the 1966 Le Mans. Lots of pressure is on Miles to win, from his bosses at Ford to his struggling family (Caitriona Balfe, Noah Jupe). The future of Ford’s reputation and success is on his hands.
Just like its subject matter, Ford v Ferrari moves at a very fast pace despite its 2 hour 32 minute runtime. I was never bored while watching this film, largely because of the electricity of Damon and Bale’s performances. They both bring their A game to this movie and it shows well, creating characters who are both complex and relatable. Pretty much all of the actors do great jobs here and I don’t have much to complain about in terms of performances, production, or direction. James Mangold makes directing this type of movie look easy: the action sequences with the cars are all brilliantly shot, and even the slower and more emotional scenes are handled very well. A specific scene where Christian Bale’s character talks to his son really had me blown away by the camera angles used. Ford v Ferrari plays out almost like a car race: slick, explosive, and greatly entertaining. It’s almost refreshing to see a movie like this become such a blockbuster; it’s not very often a non-franchise film is treated like a big deal in terms of budget and box office numbers anymore.
I don’t have much criticism for this movie but I do have to say that sometimes the characters aren’t as likable as they should be. Henry Ford II and Leo Beebe are both fairly annoying characters, not to mention that even the leads can be a little difficult at times to root for. This is mostly made up for, but still, I would have liked to have seen the characters be a little easier to feel good about. You get the sense like if you actually knew these people, you’d be exhausted. I also feel like the movie doesn’t end up amounting to much -- the movie’s plot climax is frustrating and somewhat unsatisfying to be honest, even if it is what happened in real life.
Safety chart:
Violence: 4/10 - There is some car racing violence, including death because of car crashes. Punches, fistfights, etc.
Language: 4/10 - A somewhat frequent stream of expletives.
Drinking/smoking: 2/10 - Shelby takes painkillers several times.
I definitely liked watching Ford v Ferrari on the big screen. It’s a great old-school-style movie perfect for a rainy day. It has exciting action scenes, well-delivered performances, and genuine heartfelt emotion. It’s hard to ask for much more from a modern-day movie, even if it does have some problems in terms of payoff and likability of the characters. Other than that I have basically nothing but praise for Ford v Ferrari and I’m gonna give it an A- (either than or an A, but A- is my official grade). If you grew up watching the Cars movies, chances are you’ll enjoy this, too.
