Ford V Ferrari (2019) Dir: James Mangold
Instagram post:
Also known as 'Le Mans '66', this James Mangold directed biographical sports drama tells one of motorsports most famous underdog stories. I expected this to be a bit of an over-the-top pro-Ford propaganda piece about one of their biggest motorsport successes, but I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw.
I was most surprised, and mildly impressed, that the film wasn't entirely pro-Ford, which near enough everything about the film's premise set it up to be. On the contrary, Mangold made sure to show some of the more negative aspects of the company, and of the men behind it. I think this made the film feel like an actual sports film, rather than a Ford film.
I only really had one issue with the film, and it speaks to an issue a lot of racing films have; they always seem to forget that cars make a different sound when they brake and accelerate. I know they want audiences to feel and think the cars are going fast, but when they never once seem to slow down through a corner, for example, it ruins the believability for anyone who watches real racing. I know it's a silly thing to point out, but it happens so often that I felt I had to.
The film had some really strong cinematography, particularly compared to a lot of other racing films. The only slight gripe I had with the visuals was with one or two moments where the limitations of the CGI were slightly exposed - but, in fairness, they weren't that obvious.
As it pertains to the narrative, I think the film did justice to a fascinating period in motorsports history. I felt as though they understood a lot of the drama that was happening in real life, and effectively built on and around that, in order to provide a very compelling narrative.
Christian Bale was really quite tremendous as one of the film's key protagonists, in my view. He was full of sincerity, heart and cheeky wit, while maintaining a solid, more serious side too. I thought he was excellent, especially in scenes with his on-screen family, played by Catriona Balfe and Noah Jupe.
Matt Damon provided a very consistent and believable performance in the other key role. For a role that could very easily have lacked character, I thought he did really well to make the character feel both interesting and real. I think he suited the film thoroughly, and it showed in the quality he provided.
Catriona Balfe almost stole the film, in many respects. I thought she had a real heart to her that made her so likable, especially in her scenes with Bale, who she had wonderful chemistry with. I thought she definitely stood out among a really good supporting cast.
Jon Bernthal was the other standout from that talented supporting cast. He has always been a talented actor, and I think he was able to show a softer side to his acting that he is perhaps less well-known for. I for one really enjoyed his involvement in this one.
The film also featured some other very commendable displays from the likes of Josh Lucas, Tracy Letts, Remo Girone and the aforementioned Noah Jupe. Lucas in particular could easily have fallen on his face, but delivered a pretty decent antagonistic character.
Overall, I was a lot more impressed than I had expected to be, in near enough every way. I thought the racing looked good, the acting was brilliant and the story had a lot more substance to it than I thought it would. I really enjoyed this, and I think I could happily watch it again.
Comments