Filled with Energy

Rating: 9/10 (10 September 2019)

Biopics can be a hard sell at times. Whether you're diving into the troubled life of an addict or exploring someone's sexuality, there are many touchy subjects these days. With that said, I feel there are also those that will stand the test of time, in terms of being able to please a wide audience. Ford v Ferrari is one of the latest true stories out of Hollywood that will be hitting the big screen soon, and here's why I believe it absolutely deserves attention.
Following multiple characters throughout, Ford v Ferrari focussed on the fact that Henry Ford II was given an idea to create the fastest race car in the world. His mission is to take down the likes of the company Ferrari, who have held the title for years. Carol Shelby (Matt Damon) is approached by a member of the Ford team and is recruited, only to be the one finding himself recruiting the driver in Ken Miles (Christian Bale). That's the core premise and there's a lot to dive into from there.
If you're a fan of racing or cars in general, this movie will be for you. This is a very well-directed film by James Mangold, and the racing sequences are quite long, taking up a good chunk of the nearly 150-minute run time. Luckily, they are very intense, practically shot, with a fantastic score to back it up, and sound effects to get your heart pumping. Everything about the exciting aspects of this film was top notch.
Christian Bale and Matt Damon give stellar performances here as the two leading men in the film and I totally bought their rigid friendship that slowly developed. Sadly, without giving anything away, there is an incident that I feel was not explored enough, which slightly took away when a certain moment is meant to impact the movie. Other than that, this is a fantastic movie from beginning to end.
In the end, Ford v Ferrari is engaging, emotional, and downright thrilling when it wants to be. I was invested in these characters and on the edge of my seat during the climactic races. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with this movie. There is a missed opportunity in terms of emotion during a certain scene, but I was able to forgive that, seeing as the rest of the movie was so impressive. Ford v Ferrari is one of the best movies I've seen so far this year and it will be one to see when it officially releases.