Ford v Ferrari

There’s something refreshingly retro about Ford v. Ferrari.  A traditional well-written tale about fast cars, friendships among men and their competitive spirit.  It’s the type of macho entertainment that used to feature actors like Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Sean Connery, and James Garner.  The pictures made beaucoup bucks at the box office and still managed to get a nomination or two at the Academy Awards.  That just may happen again this year because audiences have embraced this (A+ Cinemascore), critics truly love it (92% on RT) and Oscar pundits are all abuzz.  I’m truly delighted by its popularity because I agree.  This is an enjoyable movie.

Ford v Ferrari is set in the 1960s and that time-honored sensibility makes this chronicle feel like it was made in the same period.  The saga centers on two charismatic individuals whose chemistry together sells the entire film.  There’s Matt Damon who plays Carroll Shelby, an American automotive designer and Christian Bale as Ken Miles, an English race car driver.  Together they work for the Ford Motor Company in its effort to beat Ferrari at the 1966 Le Mans race.  A cantankerous relationship is stirred between Ford and Ferrari.  This is created when the vice president, Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal), has a meeting in Italy with Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone).  There’s a variety of other assorted developments that lay the groundwork in the beginning.  It takes nearly an hour in this 152-minute production to get to the proper story.  However, every minute feels necessary because it makes what happens later that much more emotionally compelling.

There is such irony (and genuine hubris) in casting a mammoth American entity like Ford as an underdog David while portraying the significantly smaller Italian Ferrari company as the arrogant and conceited Goliath that must be defeated.  Perhaps that’s why it’s called Ford v. Ferrari in the U.S. but Le Mans ’66 everywhere else in the world.  That rivalry means more here I suppose.  However, there’s also conflict within the Ford team.  This sets up Ford as this bureaucratic corporation represented by a lot of men in suits.  The key figures are represented by CEO Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts), Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal), and Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas ) a Ford executive who insidiously becomes more of an antagonist than their fellow racing competitors.

The antagonism between Ford and Ferrari is less interesting than the battle of wills between Ford the corporation vs. Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles.  The two mavericks are trying to support a company that runs on committee.  Shelby and Miles appear to be quick-witted experts when it comes to decision making.  I have no idea whether the actual men behaved as they are portrayed here, but their interactions are extremely fascinating to watch.  Together these two actors give colorful performances that bring these personalities to life.  Ken Miles is quite a character and Christian Bale’s achievement is especially noteworthy.  Director James Mangold and Bale have an established rapport having worked together before on 3:10 to Yuma.  They clearly bring out the best in each other.

This is the ultimate Dad movie.  It’s a conventional tale about manly things.  Furthermore, it features Miles’ close relationship with his son Peter (Noah Jupe).  Their bond is a key component and a true source of emotional depth.  Sometimes true life is stranger than fiction.  The account details one development that had me consulting the history books.  I had to verify that what I saw really happened.  I like pictures that do that although situations in real life don’t always play out in a way that is as satisfying.  Nevertheless, we are still presented with some of the best car racing car sequences ever put on film.  They’re perfectly edited pieces of thrills bursting with loud and adrenaline-fueled excitement.  Special mention to editors Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland who know how to edit an action sequence to maximum effect.  The racing scenes are spectacular but in the end, it’s the performances that make this drama transcendent.  This classic narrative beautifully highlights male camaraderie.  It has all the qualities of a bygone era but it’s old fashioned in the best sense of the word.  It’s the human element that provides the most sparks.

11-14-19