Ford V Ferrari is directed by James Mangold and stars Matt Damon and Christian Bale.
Action/Biography/Drama. Released 2019.
Ford v Ferrari tells the story of driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) and car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and their battle with corporations in their attempt to build a revolutionary racecar that would rival Ferrari in the 1966 24-hour Le Mans Race.
From hearing the premise alone, I had a very good feeling that with this film set in the 60s, starring some of the last true movie stars, documenting or being based on a real-life, historic event, that this would feel like an old-school Hollywood classic, much like a certain other film released earlier this year (three guesses). I am pleased to say that Ford v Ferrari is everything it should be. Thrilling, heart-warming, funny, endlessly entertaining and made to experience with a huge audience on the big screen.
James Mangold has slowly but surely become one of the most reliable and consistent directors working today. Girl, Interrupted, Walk The Line, Logan and now Ford v Ferrari have made for a very, very impressive resumé, and it seems as though people are starting to take notice. I think the reason the name isn't as distinctive and resonant as other modern masters like Nolan, Chazelle, O'Russell or Villeneuve is because he is a chameleon of some sort. He takes a genre, runs with it, and creates a quintessential music biopic, a quintessential psychological drama, a - revolutionary at the time - quintessential superhero character study, and now, a quintessential 1960s American Biopic.
When I walked out of this screening, I was utterly thrilled. I believe that later on down the line, this will be considered a classic. As I said, it is everything it should be. Unlike Logan, it's not revolutionary and doesn't develop its genre or style in any way, but one thing I can applaud it for is its ability to capture the essence of the old-Hollywood crowd-pleaser like no other film this year. Again, it is endlessly entertaining, and the 2hr32min runtime did not affect my viewing experience. In fact, it enhanced it; I never wanted Ford v Ferrari to end.
A common and consistent feature of James Mangold's films is really great performances and with Bale and Damon at the forefront, this is, of course, no exception. What I appreciate the most is that they are both inarguable leads. Their on-screen dynamic is performed to perfection, a perfect balance of comedy, anger and mutual respect. This kind of role is right within Bale's wheelhouse, but the lack of a shocking physical transformation like last year's Vice or 2013's American Hustle resulted in a naturally more human performance which allows a more profound emotional attachment. Damon's role is quite easy if one was to read it from the page, but he absolutely nails it nonetheless. It's exciting to see him back in full force. His last notable role was The Martian in my opinion, which was a while ago.
When discussing the technical aspects of the film, Ford v Ferrari is outstanding. One would've thought that a depiction of the 24-hour Le Mans race would become tiresome, but it is absolutely engrossing, thanks to, not only the already established emotional investment, but the way this race is shot. The growing urgency is reflected in the camera movement, the editing, and the sound, all elements growing louder and faster as the race progresses. It's visceral and intense, with, again, the audience's investment making it even moreso. The point I am making here is that the technical side of this film compliments the emotional side, and the emotional compliments the technical; something all the best films do. And this is done exceptionally well.
James Mangold is now one of my favourite directors because of this. Ford v Ferrari is a rare kind of film, where everything works together so well that I cannot imagine anyone not finding some kind of enjoyment in the film. The only flaw I can imagine is that it doesn't anything new, with no distinct directorial flavour; it conforms instead of rebelling. But I see that as its winning quality, because although it is familiar, 'they just don't make 'em like this anymore', and I am delighted that it exists. A knockout and a complete and utter crowdpleaser.
A
OSCAR PREDICTIONS
- Best Picture
- Best Leading Actor: Bale (hopefully/maybe)
- Best Editing
- Best Sound Mixing
- Best Sound Editing
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