A fun outing, solid throughout

Rating: 7/10 (17 November 2019)

Just back from the theater after seeing Ford vs. Ferrari and it's totally enjoyable. It never dragged and never really felt rushed either. Matt Damon and Christian Bale are two of the most watchable moviestars we have on hand these days, and their interaction can easily be seen as the bedrock of the movie.
The racing scenes? We get pretty well all you could wish from the famous 1966 races at Daytona and LeMans where the Ford GT Mk II made its mark in racing history. I think in screen time they add up to almost an hour's worth of the 2:32 runtime of the movie, and they're filmed as well as (or better than) any other racing movie I can think of. Full disclosure here though: I personally think auto racing is obscene most of all because of its flagrant waste of fossil fuels, and anyone who argues that it's responsible for all kinds of auto design improvements is just blowing smoke. If and when this whole sport dies its inevitable death, good riddance.
But OK, this is a movie review -- how about the cast? Matt Damon is just fine as always. He doesn't exactly have "range" -- he just plays himself in any movie (like Tom Cruise) -- but that's just fine. I have no idea if Carrol Shelby is really like that, but Damon is so comfortable and engaging in whatever he does that it always works. Christian Bale is much more of a technician, a method actor, and I'm sure he worked hard to nail the eccentric Ken Miles, the race driver and engineer/mechanic who values the pure experience of the business on absolute terms. It's fascinating to see him work.
Two or three of the minor parts stand out. Catriona Balfe (best known for "Outlander") plays Miles' wife and gives her some depth -- much more than just a placeholder. And Tracy Letts (as Henry Ford II), Jon Bernthal (as a young Lee Iacocca) and Josh Lucas (as the smarmy, vindictive corporate suit Leo Beebe) are all good. I don't have any idea how much of the infighting and scheming within the Ford corporation shown here is realistic, though I suspect much of it must be fictionalized to amp up the drama. But it makes for an engaging night out. Have fun!