Movie Review – Ford V Ferrari (2019)
My Rating – 4.5 out of 5
Table of Contents
Plot Summary – Movie Review
First off the block – This is not a Car Racing movie in the Fast & Furious genre, though revving engines, squealing tyres and screaming fans fill its background soundscape.
This is set in the 1960’s (another one after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and revolves around Ken Miles (Christian Bale) and Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), Ford and Ferrari.
Shelby retires from Motor racing in 1959 after a heart condition forces him off the track and he goes into car sales and car engineering cum designing. Miles, on the other hand,is a car racer and a mechanic whose garage gets shutdown by the IRS and he gives up racing to focus on running his family.
Meanwhile, at US car giant Ford, Henry Ford II fumes over plumetting sales and his aide Lee Iacocca proposes that Ford needs to get into manufacturing racing cars and take on the likes of Ferrari at 24 hours Le Mans, to break the public perception that Ford can’t make exciting cars.
Carroll Shelby is brought in to design and manufacture the GT 40, and he brings in Ken Miles as the driver. Now, Ken Miles is a non-conformist, non team player who nobody at Ford likes, least of all their slimy VP, Leo Bebee. He, after some sly machinations with Henry Ford, gets Miles thrown out of the team.
Not to be outdone, Shelby turns around Henry Ford himself and gets Miles back on the team for Le Mans and then ensues the enthralling race for supremacy of Ford over the iconic Ferrari….
Conclusion of the Movie Review
Christian Bale is brilliant as the rasping, grumpy and mostly acidic expat Brit (with a sometimes jarring accent) whose mood swings from ecstatic to surly has been wonderfully done. Matt Damon is restrained and articulate as the role demands and is quietly electric.
The rest of the supporting cast is noteworthy, particularly Caitriona Balfe (as Mollie – Ken Miles’ wife) and Noah Jupe (as Peter – Miles’ son). The sheer romanticism, the corporate politicking, heartbreaks and smiles carries the audience with it – laughing, crying and cheering all the way to the chequered flag….. Loved it!!