Corporate gasoline

Rating: 7/10 (11 February 2020)

"Ford v Ferrari" isn't as much about the battle between the two mega-corporations in the title as much as it is about the fight between bureaucracy and action, calculations and instinct or faith and palpability. It involves internal struggles as much as external ones and carried superbly by its two leads, Matt Damon and Christian Bale--whose performance is Oscar-worthy--is one of the most likable, satisfying and entertaining movies of the year.
The plot heads towards an epic culmination at the 1966 24-hour Le Mans race in France and it involves the years in which Ford created the now legendary GT40 to finally beat Ferrari who has been dominating the racing realm of motoring for years. It follows car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and his driver, Ken Miles (Christian Bale) as they deal with the technical ins and outs, corporate interference and media standards navigating their vagaries to get to success. The movie is as old-school macho as its central characters. Shelby was an American maverick, always dressing like the boss he is, always determined to get the job done, but he was understanding of the business side. Miles, on the other hand, is as complicated as he is a brilliant driver. His approach to the world is stripped of formality, his driving is his religion and people should be as real as he is otherwise they become fodder for his unfiltered words.
James Mangold knew he was entering a world with high potential in entertainment when he approached this story. Whenever attempting to encompass American history, one tends to sensationalize through patriotism and venerate the people it contains. And indeed they are worthy of veneration. This plays out like standard Hollywood fare, the dream factory working its magic perfectly. But it's also very male-centric. Not only its characters look like they were made in a car factory, the women are also hysterical. A particular scene in which Ken's wife Mollie (Caitriona Balfe) has a nervous breakdown during an argument with Ken about him hiding his plan to work on the new GT40 is a bit exaggerated. As they are in their family car, she starts driving erratically and dangerously, the scene playing like an interrogation scene. "I thought we loved this stuff!"--she yells until Ken spits everything out. Yet in the end, she is fine with it, she just wished he hadn't lied. Her worries are understandable and called for, but her over-the-top reaction Mangold decided upon is obsolete as representation for women--even if this was the 1960s.
In the end, though, "Ford v Ferrari" finishes with just the right amount of satisfaction. While both characters are likable and Bale's performance rules, Matt Damon's portrayal of Carroll Shelby is what really made me up this movie's grade. He is perfect as men who try to get the job done but also not upset anyone too much. His approach to Ford's CEO, Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) on why he should get a second chance after losing in 1965's Le Mans is as elegant as it is harsh and true. Even if "Ford v Ferrari" seems a bit outdated it is nonetheless a movie which really wants to be liked--not only by car people, but by everyone. Well, it succeeded.