Skip to main content

Ford v Ferrari Movie Review

“We’re lighter, we’re faster, and if that don’t work, we’re nastier.” - Carroll Shelby
See the source image
Ford v Ferrari is a new film directed by James Mangold, and stars Matt Damon as famed automotive designer Carroll Shelby, and Christian Bale as his driver, Ken Miles.  Together, the two men must work together to help Ford beat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which is a 24 hour long road race that takes place in the city of Le Mans, France.
Ford v Ferrari was not a movie that I was terribly excited to see, but I wanted to keep an open mind.  After all, the movie had been getting a lot of buzz from both audiences and critics alike.  After seeing the film for myself, it’s easy to see why people enjoyed it so much.  I was really surprised by not only the technical aspects of the movie, but also the performances.  Christian Bale deserves an Oscar nomination for his work here as Ken Miles.  He totally brings the character to life, and portrays him with spunk, energy, humor, and wit.  Bale’s performance made Miles my favorite character in the entire film.  Matt Damon also excels in his portrayal of Carroll Shelby, and so does John Bernthal as Lee Iacocca.  
The camerawork consists of some really tight shots which worked well for the film, but it also has its fair share of wides, which I greatly appreciated.  The race scenes are thrilling to watch, and the action is captured beautifully.  The camera focuses on the cars with incredible pans, and then cuts to close-up shots of the character’s faces.  Ford v Ferrari is a film that is both well-shot, and tightly edited.  
Another thing Ford v Ferrari has going for it is its music.  There are many fantastic musical moments in the film, one of my favorites being an early race scene in which the music is driving, and fast.  Written by Buck Sanders and the always wonderful Marco Beltrami, the score is tough and cool, while also remaining easy.
Probably my favorite aspect of Ford v Ferrari is the character development.  All of the characters were truly fascinating, and I was absolutely riveted by the things that they did.  Each character is incredibly well crafted, and has their own clear motivations, and things that drive them.  The ways in which they evolve throughout the film is really cool to see.
In terms of issues I had with the film, I thought that some of the character introductions were a bit rocky, and didn’t really seem to fit the style of the movie.  There were also some considerable pacing issues, especially towards the beginning.  Some scenes were really rushed, and others went on for just a little too long.  There are also a few scenes at the beginning relating to one of the characters having a heart problem.  It seems like that plot point is going somewhere important, but it’s never mentioned again for the rest of the film, which I found to be really weird.  
Overall though, Ford v Ferrari is well put together, and gets the job done.  It’s a joy to watch, and has some great leading performances.  Like the cars depicted in the film, this movie goes fast, looks pretty, and is able to maintain a fairly consistent pace for a long period of time.  If you get the chance, I would suggest giving this film a watch.
Rating: PG-13
Grade: A- 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Alita: Battle Angel Movie Review

“I do not stand by in the presence of evil.” - Alita Alita: Battle Angel is the new film by director Robert Rodriguez.  It is a cyberpunk sci-fi action movie starring Rosa Salazar as the title character.  Also starring are Christoph Waltz, Mahershala Ali, Ed Skrein, Jennifer Connelly, and Jackie Earle Haley.   The film is about Alita, a young cyborg girl rebuilt by Dr. Dyson Ido (Waltz), who just wants to know more about her past, and where she came from.  Ido is very protective of her, as there is a lot of crime happening in the streets. Nonetheless, the curious Alita goes out exploring every day, and meets a boy named Hugo who she falls in love with.  Meanwhile, there is some villainous activity going on involving a man named Vector, and a mysterious figure called Nova who lives in Zalem, a giant floating city where all the upper-class people live that hovers above the city below that is home to all the lower-class citizens. Alita: Battle Angel is a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Best Films of 2020

As I’m sure you all know, 2020 was a difficult year for many people.  It presented us with all sorts of new challenges the likes of which most of us have never seen before.  It was especially tough for movie-lovers like myself, because in the town where I live and the surrounding areas, movie theaters were constantly being shut down, then reopened for a few weeks only to be shut down again.  That being said, I didn’t get to see nearly as many films as I did in 2019, and a lot of the films I did see were films I didn’t have time to write reviews for before the year ended.  For that, I apologize.  I think it goes without saying that all of the movies on this list are ones that I really enjoyed, and I recommend checking out all of them if you get the chance.  These are the films I enjoyed watching the most in 2020.   Honorable Mentions:  Mank Babyteeth Hamilton Hunter Hunter 10. Da 5 Bloods    Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods is a unique sto...
Post a Comment
Read more

Da 5 Bloods Movie Review

“Why do you fight against us, so far away from where you are needed?” - Hanoi Hannah Da 5 Bloods is the newest film directed by Spike Lee, and it stars Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Chadwick Boseman, and Jonathan Majors.  The film tells the tale of four Black veterans who return to Vietnam in the present day to bring home the remains of a fallen soldier.  However, that isn’t their only mission.  They are also there to recover a cache of buried gold and split the money between the four of them.   Da 5 Bloods is an incredibly intense yet heartfelt film, and it’s also very important and relevant to what’s going on in the world today.  It’s an extremely politically charged movie, and while that could be a turn-off for some people, I think it’s the type of film that needs to be seen regardless of who you are.  It’s informative and educational, and it gives the viewer knowledge about our current political climate as well as t...
Post a Comment
Read more