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Review: Ford v Ferrari (2019)

Ford v Ferrari (2019)

I am not a car guy. I'll say that as bluntly as I can. I don't get (or buy into) the lifestyle of shiny, fast or expensive, brand-name cars, and I likely never will. A car to me is a vehicle that gets you from Point A to Point B. Sure, I appreciate when a car is made with good-sounding speakers for music to blast or seats that can heat your ass in the winter, but that's more-or-less as far as it goes for me.

For this reason, Ford v Ferrari was not a film I was personally lining up to see. However, I am a fan of James Mangold as well as Matt Damon and Christian Bale (really, who isn't?), and when the film started receiving rave reviews I ended up going out to see it earlier than I originally predicted I would. And, in the end, I was generally impressed with the film.

Ford v Ferrari is the based-on-true-events story of Caroll Shelby (Damon), a former race car driver, now-turned car designer, and Ken Miles (Bale), a current race car driver/mechanic/family man. The film takes place in the 1960's, at a time when the Ford company was close to bankruptcy. And, in a daring ploy to gain new traction and consumers, they decided to compete in the famous Le Mans 24 hour race in France - a competition that had, for years, been dominated by Italian car-company, Ferrari. In this daring pursuit, Ford hires Shelby to lead the team and Shelby then brings along hot-head Miles as their racer.
In all respects, Ford v Ferrari is a well-made, easy-to-watch and, at the appropriate times, a moving film. Though there are a few nice twists and emotional beats throughout, this is not a film that takes risks, unlike its adrenaline-seeking protagonists. It is the kind of film that one can easily see being nominated for Best Picture, however, I do not necessarily mean that in a good way. Leaving the film left many of the similar feelings that I had after seeing last year's Green Book. It felt like a film made by Disney but targeted at adults.

Again, this is not to say that Ford v Ferrari is a bad film by any means, because it is not. It is a very serviceable film with a good story, good heart and good acting. But like so much of today's big-budget Hollywood fare, underlying Ford v Ferrari is a lack of risk and artisanship. As reviews have shown, most have enjoyed Ford v Ferrari and there is good reason for this. I just wish next time the race takes place off-road as opposed to very well-paved and well-trodden roads.
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