Ford v Ferrari (2019) enters a crowded awards season with the tenacity to make its mark. This film explores the true story of Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles catapulting Ford into the racing world. The late 1960s brought on many changes, and companies needed to keep up too. Read here for the SPOILER-FREE review!
The two leads portrayed by Matt Damon (Carroll Shelby) and Christian Bale (Ken Miles) are impeccable. Both are award-worthy. Bale makes an admirable candidate for many reasons. First off, he's not doing his normal accent. Bale is Welsh and the character Ken Miles is from Birmingham, England. Also, his character is a peculiar guy. He shows a temper combined with smugness, yet he's a good guy. He's a father and a husband trying to make ends meet. Bale plays this persona as good as anyone.
Matt Damon is exceptional as a candidate for many reasons as well. He uses an accent too. He's a Texan that is forced into retirement from racing. This character is an infamous car designer. You may recognize his name on some Ford Mustangs. Damon keeps Shelby's stoic composure until it breaks right on cue.
All of this is for the most prestigious car race in the world known as Le Mans in France. Another character to mention is Lee Iacocca played by Jon Bernthal (from The Walking Dead, Daredevil, and The Punisher).
If you're a car junkie, you'll love this film. If you're not a car junkie but enjoy a compelling drama, you'll love this film. The racing is thrilling. I don't consider myself a car guru. However, I was fully immersed. You can feel the vibrations of the cars as they race through high winds, rain and more for many many hours. The cinematography that accompanied these scenes is simple yet effective. I think the score is award-worthy too (click here to listen).
The movie is fairly accurate to its origin story. Of course, some things need to be adjusted for cinematic viewing. I believe that most people would accept the film. SPOILERS IN NEXT PARAGRAPH... skip to one afterward now if you haven't seen the film.
I didn't know everything that happened in this true story before watching. In my opinion, it's the best way to watch this movie. Ken Miles was robbed of his triple crown by the Ford executives. Leo knew he wouldn't be in a tie. I was genuinely mad. Follow that up with Miles's death, and it's a severe one-two punch. Matt Damon gives an emotional performance talking to Christian Bale's son (Noah Jupe).
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