My father was obsessed with cars in the same vain I am obsessed with movies. He joked that he lived for anything with wheels. For every photo he took of the family, he took twenty of his cars. My dad worked for Ford and even named one of my brothers after famed car designed Carroll Shelby (who he got to meet at an Autorama one year much to his delight). Even after his death, his love for cars has always been felt. So when the movie “Ford v Ferrari” came out, I felt an urge to see it not only because it received good reviews but because part of me felt like it was a bit of connection to my dad.
The film tells the story of car racer and designer Carroll Shelby as he is hired by Ford Motor Company to design a car that might win the twenty-four hour Le Mans race. Shelby’s friend and driver Ken Miles is brought on to help Carroll Shelby design the car that eventually becomes the famed Ford GT40. Unfortunately Ken Miles isn’t permitted by Ford to drive the car and it’s debut, Ford loses Le Mans to the Ferrari once again. Carroll Shelby is able to convince Henry Ford II to give him another chance with Ken Miles behind the wheel and Henry Ford II gives him the go ahead. Can Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby achieve the impossible and give Ford the win for the Le Mans race?
While the racing sequences are thrilling and as exciting as you would expect, much of the drama of “Ford v Ferrari” comes from the behind the scenes struggles Carroll Shelby had with the Ford Motor Company. The film showcases how devastating poor management can be to a company. As someone who works at a job with managers who do little but lower the morale of their workforce, I can relate to this film’s take on executives.
The film stars Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale as Ken Miles. Damon plays Shelby with a sense of recklessness and rebellion the real Shelby was well known for. Bale is an absolute delight giving Miles humor and a giant ego yet still making him likable. It is hard to imagine anyone but Damon and Bale playing these roles (though Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt almost ended up starring in this movie at various points).
In addition to focusing primarily on Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, the film also explores their relationship with the likes of Henry Ford II and Lee Iacocca to name a few legendary big three figureheads. For the most part, save for Iacocca for the most part, the top brass at Ford isn’t painted in the most flattering light. Jon Bernthal does a stellar job bringing Lee Iacocca to life and is able to make him the most likable of Ford’s chief board.
James Mangold does an excellent job making this film feel as if it was filmed in the mid 60s. The style and feel of the era made you feel as if you stepped into a time machine. Mangold also always seems to manage to get the best from his performers no matter the project they are attached to. Mangold definitely deserves award recognition for his work on this film.
When the dust settles, “Ford v Ferrari” is a crowd pleasing win for everyone involved. Even if you don’t care about Le Mans or racing (I am not personally a fan), the film makes you care about it protagonists and most of the audience will be rooting for Shelby and Miles by the end.
Grade: B+
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