Review: Ford vs. Ferrari

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Ford vs. Ferrari came out November 15th and is currently in its 3rd week in theaters. Plain and simple, this movie was amazing. Director James Mangold (Logan, Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma) is truly establishing himself as a master storyteller, with stylistic editing, a great soundtrack, a brilliant script from the Butterworth Brothers, incredible set design, and a tense tone that'll grab your attention and keep it from beginning to end.

The movie portrays the true story about how the Ford Motor Company decided to do the (at the time) unthinkable and take on the world-famous Ferrari Racing Team at the 1966 24 Hours at Le Mans. The story begins with Lee Iacocca (played by Jon Bernthal) approaching Henry Ford II with a new idea to change Ford's image on the world stage: create a car to compete at the 24 Hours at Le Mans, one of the most watched races in the world. The problem is that Ford has never attempted to make a car strictly for racing before, and Ferrari has had nothing but time as their race cars were internationally renowned.

To do this, they hire Carroll Shelby, the only American driver to win the 24 Hours at Le Mans, to put together a crew and use Ford's vastly superior resources to build the fastest car in the world. Shelby (played by the great Matt Damon) decides that the only thing more important than the car is the driver, so he enlists the help of the maverick driver/mechanic Ken Miles (played brilliantly by Christian Bale). Together, these two steal any scene they're in, and when they are on screen together, they bring sparkling chemistry with a great dynamic of both respect and annoyance.

Yes, the movie is called Ford vs. Ferrari, but it is much more of a testament to the American Dream and what it stands for. Against all odds, Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles manage to overcome antagonists on both the Ferrari side and the Ford Motor Company side, and they do so with such style. The final race at Le Mans will leave you at the edge of your seat until the very end, that I promise you.

The last bit I'll mention before sending you off to watch this entertaining thrill-ride is the final scene shown in the trailer I posted above. It really captures the spirit of the movie when Shelby puts Henry Ford II himself in the first Ford GT40 and takes him on an intense test drive, leaving Henry Ford II in near tears. Ford tells Shelby that while he had poured millions into the car, he had no idea what it was actually like. In tears, Henry Ford II says, "If my daddy was here to see this, he would be so proud of how far we've come."

Rating: 9/10