Ford V Ferrari

Rating: 10/10 (23 January 2020)

Fast and Furious, no not the movie, the two words that best describe James Mangolds newest project, Ford V Ferrari. On the outside, Ford V Ferrari may seem like your run of the mill racing movie with a simple plot, but after watching you realize that it is much more than that. You see obsession, tension, and an overarching rivalry between The Ford Motorcompany and Ferrari. Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts), shows a compulsive behavior that radiates to those around him, he feels a need to win. For a chance at winning the 1966 24 Hours at Le Mans, Ford recruits Carol Shelby (Matt Damon), who then brings in Ken Miles (Christian Bale) as his faithful driver that has a bad rap in the racing scene but most importantly he can drive, and he can win. Starting out racing smaller circuits, Miles is afraid his racing career won't lead to success, and with a wife and a son, he is pressured to put down racing all together. This is until he is approached by Shelby about the plan Ford has to tarnish Ferrari's successful reputation in Le Mans.
Throughout the movie, Miles has a hostile relationship with Ford and its head executives. Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) doesn't see Miles as being the face of Fords racing team. Miles and Shelby are constantly fighting with Henry Ford II and his team of executives to try to gain the freedom to create what they want. Shelby's outside the box thinking mixed with Miles' self centered attitude show how much they can influence a big brand, even if everyone is against them. Fords financial problems mixed with jabs taken at Henry Ford II by Enzo Ferrari encourages Ford to give Shelby the keys Fords new racing team.
Damon's cool southern composure and Bales witty thinking create a perfect chemistry that is hard to recreate. Although the team may fight, sometimes literally, they always seem to show respect and understanding for each other. Shelby, from the beginning, sees something in Miles and he can tell Miles will be the best driver for Ford. After getting the offer to race for Ford by Shelby, Miles quickly gets to work developing the famed GT40 race car, the only American made car to win the 24 Hours at Le Mans to this day.
Mangolds vision and execution in this movie perfectly encapsulates the golden age of racing. A time when teams did anything they could to win, when innovation was new and ideas were fresh. Everything from the sound design and visual effects to the pace of the movie flawlessly fuse together to keep you involved and interested. Everyone from gearheads that know every dimension of every part of the cars used in the movie, to those who have never thought to change their oil will be satisfied with this movie. Along with the cars, you also get to see relationships grow, watch hard times get resolved with hard work, and challenges get over come with persistence, making this a great all-around movie.