“Ford v Ferrari” explores the famous rivalry of automotive juggernauts Ford and Ferrari in the true story of the men turning the outdated Ford into a machine that could beat the fast and flashy Ferrari in one of the most prestigious races in the world, the 24-hour Le Mans.
Front and center in this film is Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale), the two men integral in revolutionizing the Ford to be a formidable competitor in the world of racing. Shelby, a former racer no longer able to compete due to heart problems, strives to find himself outside the world of racing. Miles, having passion and savant ability with cars and racing, struggles to support his family on his talent alone. The film brings these old friends together for a common goal when Ford, inspired by actor Jon Bernthal’s Lee Iacocca, a marketer, approaches Shelby to make Ford win the Le Mans.
The corporate rivalry between Ford and Ferrari is the backdrop for a film which highlights the friendship and story of Shelby and Miles and the incredible feats these two men achieved together. Despite being in the title, Ferrari is a distant antagonist of the film — this is a Ford story from the beginning. That being said, neither company are shown in a positive light. Shelby and Miles constantly face resistance from executives at Ford, most prominently being Josh Lucas who plays Ford’s director of racing. Much of this resistance comes in the form of pushback against Shelby’s loyalty to Miles, a man considered to be too much of a wild card despite his natural talent.
Racing is at the heart of this film and delivers exhilarating sequences that rival the thrill and suspense of the action and superhero films saturating the market today. These sequences convey the intensity, danger, and true talent needed to race at a competitive level. The sound and editing play a large part in selling the viscerality of the experience. Subtle creaking and rattling of the car contributes to the suspense of whether the car can endure the stress of a 24-hour race, while the fast and tight cuts convey the importance of a single second in a competition like this. The entire team behind the camera, from director to sound design, craft truly compelling sequences.
Another strong point, as well as their selling point, is the star power this film brings to the table with both Damon and Bale. The two instantly share incredible chemistry on-screen and create a believable friendship of these two characters. A standout scene with the two features them fighting and rolling around in the now ruined groceries that Miles had just purchased, with Miles’ wife pulling out a folding chair and a magazine to watch the hot mess that is her husband and close friend. Scenes like this deepen the audience’s understanding of the characters and solidify that these are real men being portrayed. Bale in particular has a lot of fun in the role, diving into a character that has an easier time understanding cars than humans most of the time.
Undoubtedly as this film is at least half about Bale’s character, his family offers great support for both the character of Miles, but the film as well, as it rounds out Miles as more than just a racer, but as a husband and father. Caitriona Balfe plays Ken’s wife Molie and delivers a solid performance as a wife to match the energy and charisma of Bale. Completing the family is Noah Jupe who portrays Ken’s son Peter, a kid who holds his father in the highest regard, and helps to sell a beautiful father-son dynamic.
Being a film, creative liberties are sure to be taken in favor of compelling narrative. The antagonists of Ferrari and the Ford executives aren’t fleshed out beyond being the typical annoyance and hurdle for the leads to overcome in the making of the now famous Ford GT40. An experience that director James Mangold likened to the experience of getting a film made in Hollywood, during a podcast interview on The Frame. Tracy Letts as Henry Ford II does have a bit more depth than the film allows the others to have, but not much. Mostly his motivation comes in the form of struggling to grapple with how to preserve and extend the legacy of his father’s company.
“Ford v Ferrari” does suffer the two-dimensional antagonists that burden many films of this nature, typical slick corporate guys trying to stop the protagonists of the film from succeeding with no clear reason other than to be annoying. But at a runtime of two and a half hours it’s understandable that the film chooses to double down on its strengths rather than work on it’s weaknesses, by devoting time to the racing and the leading men. “Ford v Ferrari” may be a hard sell for movie-goers as ticket prices are high and it doesn’t have the broad appeal of superhero films, but with such solid performances and suspenseful racing sequences, it deserves a theater experience and will prove to be just as formidable a competitor as Ford proved to be.
Correction: A spelling mistake has been updated.
