Le Mans '66 (2019) Review by Infectious Reviews

Rating: 8/10 (4 April 2020)

'Le Mans '66' (Ford v Ferrari), directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line), is a feel-good family flick that looks at the true story of Ford's car designer Carroll Shelby, played by Matt Damon (The Martian) and his driver Ken Miles, played by Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) - where they go head to head with Ferrari in the 1966 'Le Mans' motorsport race.
My first impression of the film, after watching the trailer, was; "this looks and feels like 'Rush'." 2013's 'Rush', directed by Ron Howard, a film I enjoyed very much - felt comforting and easy-going - even though there is a literal turn for the worse, there's still a warmness to the narrative that feels very smart and cool (at all corners). I was imagining 'Le Mans '66' to be very similar to 'Rush', and thankfully it was - my expectations were met. It had all the same coolness, slick dialogue and fast story. What appealed to me during both films was their aesthetically pleasing setting. I found myself wanting to be in the South of France or Northern Italy, laying in the sun and drinking a beer. 'Le Mans '66' draws you into to its ambience so well and it actually makes you feel present. I have watched it twice now and could easily watch it again, especially when the weather is looking grey.
A few pointers - looking at the technical side of film, the pacing was good as it kept the story fun and engaging though the duration of the film could have been shorter. Some scenes were not particularly interesting or necessary. There was a lot of exposition during the first act which had me wishing for a more conversational dialogue. A lot of what happened could have been explained in a less amount of time. Even so, it wasn't something I cared much about - its production value and sixties appeal had me glued to the screen. However, it was sometimes hard to settle down because of Bale's, over-the-top, accentuated accent but again, as time progresses, it was not something that bothered me throughout. Having said this, I thought Shelby and Miles' on screen relationship was joyful and convincing. Their narrative was interesting and gave me a better understanding about a story I never knew existed. Sometimes biopics have a better way of delivering information - due to their motivating characterisations and re-imaging of crucial events. For example, the racing sequences have more emphasis than actuality, (don't hold me to this - I have never been to a race in my life). However, the brilliant 'Academy Award' wining sound, edited by Donald Sylvester (Logan) and the great use of camera work by cinematographer Phedon Papamichael (Nebraska) - puts you behind the wheel of the iconic 'Ford GT40'.
For someone that has a mild interest in cars and motorsport - I thoroughly enjoyed this film and would recommend it to anyone - especially if you have a fascination about exhaust pipes.