Ford v Ferrari 2019
This is a neat movie about Ford’s efforts in the 1960’s to compete seriously in the 24 Hours of Le Mans road race, dominated for years by Ferrari. The plot mostly revolves around former driver and car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and racecar driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) as they get Ford’s GT40 ready for Le Mans. There are also some Ford executives like Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) and Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts). The first two thirds of the movie is about getting the car ready, winning some races, and struggling against Ford management. The last third of the movie is mostly about the 1966 Le Mans race. Damon and Bale are both great actors and are convincing in their roles without going overboard. I was a little disappointed Lee Iacocca didn’t have a bigger part, but his real life role seems pretty minor. We also see driver Miles’ wife and son giving a little personal drama to what is otherwise kind of a typical sports movie. The real stars of the movie are the cool looking cars being pushed to their limits. Though Nascar racing is the big thing in the United States today, it is neat seeing how a big company from the United States decided to do whatever it took to really compete at a European road race. They don’t shy away from details about racing and engines, but I don’t know that you will learn much about any of that. It is basically a sports movie, albeit a well made one with some very good acting, and some great cars. It is hard to give it a really high grade, but it is definitely an enjoyable movie.
Written: 29 Nov 2019
Owned on: Blu-ray, Digital