FORD V. FERRARI: Thrilling Escape to the Racetrack
James Mangold's character-driven and action-packed Ford v. Ferrari explores the story of Ford Motor Co. introduction to the world of racing. In 1963 sales at the company are slipping and the executives try to purchase Ferrari to appeal to younger and more stylish audiences. The deal doesn't go through and leaves Ford to turn to Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) to engineer a car to beat Ferrari.
Shelby is the only American driver to win the French Le Mans race. He has left racing due to heart problems and now focuses on building innovative cars through his own company. Shelby takes on the challenge by Ford and reaches out to his British racer friend, Ken Miles (Christian Bale) to help him with the task. Miles is an expert on cars and can feel out all the details on what needs to be improved on cars to make them better. He is considered not a team player by the people around him. Shelby and Miles both understand the deeper meaning of cars making them the perfect people to turn Ford into a racing brand. They have both experienced becoming one with the car at 7,000 RPM and their chemistry is undeniable.
Mangold is fantastic is showing the action behind the wheel of a race car. Audiences feel like they are the ones on the track through the use of the sound mixing and adrenaline rush. Mangold creates emotion in the scenes that can be experienced through the screen. When Miles's door doesn't close during Le Mans the audience feels the frustration and become frantic that the door isn't closing as it is them in this car and they have developed a deep relationship with the characters onscreen. The shots of Miles racing in the rain and fog are thrilling and anxious. These scenes make the 2-hour experience exhilarating and enjoyable.
Mangold also succeeds in portraying the dramatic tension between Shelby and Miles and the Ford team. They don't see eye to eye especially when it comes to Miles representing the Ford brand in the races even though there is no one else fit enough to be behind the car or understands it more than Miles. Shelby and Henry Ford II share a beautiful scene where Shelby takes Ford for a spin in the GT40 at a very high speed and Ford reverts back into a child with a moving meltdown after this experience.
Ford v. Ferrari is a very fun experience and has Damon and Bale to thank for that. Over the span of the movie, audiences root for the characters and get into the conflict and tensions surrounding the task of turning Ford into a racing brand. They are both entertaining and it is fun to watch two friends work out their differences to create something that hasn't been done before. There is heart here. The story is easy and fun to follow along to. Everyone from racing fans to non-racing fans will enjoy this piece. It is a refreshing movie during a time where movies are being bold and gritty. It is engaging and a rush.