Runtime 152 Minutes
Capsule Summary, Minimal Spoilers:
Ford V Ferrari is a film about true events that happened in the 1960s. A competition between Ford and Ferrari., which came from a disagreement on a deal between the two companies. It’s a story about passion, which comes in many flavors, several of which we get to see on screen. It is one of the truest movies about racing that I’ve seen.
It follows the story of several people, primarily Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale), who are hired by Ford to help them build a car that will beat Ferrari at the annual race at Le Mans, France. Its a turbulent relationship between people who demand the best of their equipment and their people.
The story’s main focus is on Shelby, and how things came to be. It’s also a story about love, between driver Ken and his wife Mollie (Caitriona Balfe), two very strong willed individuals. They have a son, Peter (Noah Jupe), who figures heavily into this film.
There’s never a dull moment in this movie. Everything fits together so well and is so gripping that you lose track of the runtime. The racing scenes are as good as they can be. I can easily say this film is my favorite film of 2019, so far. Highly recommended for everyone, not just fans of racing. Several of my friends who are not racing fans enjoyed this movie more than they ever would have suspected. If you do see this movie, I strongly suggest you find a theater showing it in Titan Luxe/Dolby Atmos, or IMAX, if possible. The sounds were just incredible in the theater we went to.
Standard Review, Some Spoilers:
The movie starts off with a teaser. Carroll Shelby was a racer, and was competing at the annual 20 Hours of Le Mans, one of the most prestigious and longest endurance races in the world. Next thing you know, he’s at a doctor, who’s telling him he can’t race any more. It’s in his blood, so he can’t give it up completely. He moves onto the next best thing, a boutique carmaker.
Meanwhile, at Ford, Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) needs some ideas. He wants to improve the business, and calls to everyone in a Ford Falcon plant to come up with ideas, or see themselves out. We hear one man’s proposal. Lee Iococca (Jon Bernthal) focuses on Ford acquiring Ferrari. Ferrari is a small company, compared to Ford (actually, compared to almost every car manufacturer), but the people that work there are fanatical about their work. One person assembles a motor, completely. One person assembles the transmission, and so on. It’s a level of craftsmanship that is unparalleled (for the most part), even today. Ferrari has spent a lot of money on the Le Mans races, and is near bankruptcy. Iococca meets with Enzo Ferrari, the owner and founder, and presents him with Ford’s offer. After some thought, he totally turns down the offer, and in his closing words, ends his rejection in a manner that forever ends any possibility they could come to terms, to put it mildly. The rejection angers Ford enough that he goes contrary to the old adage, and realizes that if he can’t join ’em, he’ll beat ’em. At Le Mans.
Iococca realizes he needs people on the team with the drive and the vision to make this happen. Ford’s team in England has designed the car, but that’s just the basic element that’s needed. There are drivers, and considerations for a race like Le Mans, especially considering that any car that races there has to survive mechanically for 24 hours without any major issues or breakdowns. Any car can be made to race for 2-3 hours, but 24? Not quite impossible, but it’s a major obstacle.
I’ve implied that the focus on Carroll Shelby is the heart of the film, I should point out that the true soul of the film is represented by Ken Miles. He’s a terrific driver, but not without his faults. He can be a hothead and a pain in the ass, and he’s also not a team player. Surprised? His wife Mollie isn’t. She understands him completely, when he is open and honest with her. He’s a bit off his gourd, but so is she, as you’ll see. Balfe is excellent in this role, and it’s refreshing to see Mollie as a three dimensional character. Ken is at his best when he’s with his son Peter, though. He is there at the testing sessions, and is a dedicated student of racing, which Ken is happy to explain. These are some of the best moments in the film.
There is talk of perfection in this film, primarily in terms of racing, but it’s equally applicable to other things, as well. Moviemaking, for one. This film is intense when it needs to be, thrilling wherever possible, and is like a well-crafted gemstone. It pulls you in, right from the start, and never really lets go. There are so many little extras that are unnecessary, but they are the things that make it more real than I thought a racing film could be. While it is a racing film, it’s done in such a way that it’s more than just for the racing community, because of the themes involved. See for yourself.
I suspect this film will be nominated for several technical Oscars, as the sound and editing were on point. The acting is brilliant, and the story itself was very engrossing. Go see it.