Genre: Drama/ Action
Runtime: 152 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Tracy Letts, Jon Bernthal, Josh Lucas, Caitriona Balfi, Noah Jupe, Ray McKinnon
Description: American car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) battle corporate interference and the laws of physics to build a revolutionary race car for Ford in order to defeat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of le Mans in 1966.
Review: Some stories are so Hollywood, that no one believes it untill Hollywood filmed them truthfully. The genesis of the Ford GT40 is one of those. An almost childish quarrel between two car manufacturers is finally fought out on the asphalt of Le Mans. The price turns out to be high: many millions disappear in a contest between two men who have their names on cars and factories, but want to prove that they have the biggest. Or in this case: the fastest.
It's a ‘David and Goliath’story. The great Ford, who made more cars in an hour than Ferrari would in a year, was above all the epitome of solidity. Ferrari, on the other hand, was sporty, sexy and exclusive. But also broke. When an acquisition that should have helped both manufacturers ended in nothing, it became personal. And the best place for this was at Le Mans, the most prestigious motorsport event of the year, which moreover, had been dominated by Ferrari for years.
Director James Mangold decided to go more Hollywood for this film. Take for instance the two great leads: Matt Damon and Christian Bale. Matt Damon plays Carroll Shelby, a blue-collar car builder and Bale portrays the rebellious race car driver Ken Miles. Their characters have definitely been made more Hollywood for entertainment purposes. And the same goes for the Ford and Ferrari people.
“Ford V Ferrari is at its best when the relationship between man and machine (because women are relegated to the smallest possible supporting roles) is highlighter in these ways. A ratio that is tested extremely during the famous 24-hour race on the Le Mans circuit in 1966.
But the creator’s ambition goes further: this is also a film about the boring Ford’s attempt to break through the racing dominance of the slick Ferrari in the 1960s. a heroic portrait of two American racing cowboys, designer Shelby and the driver Ken Miles against a pair of Italians. And “Ford V Ferrari” is never subtle. The opponent is caricatural, but somehow this approach is entertaining. It provides much-need perspective in the battle for the best ‘toy’.
“Ford V Ferrari” is a good underdog-type story with strong performance by especially Christian Bale. But overall it’s a story with no subtlety and lots of stereotypical characters. The perfect story for a Hollywood film.
Rating: 3,5 / 5
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