Reading DeLorean’s book General Motors in the True Light, I did not expect that I would encounter this rich (in every way) inner world of one of the largest auto giants in the form of Ford in the new Ford movie in the new Ford movie, a huge clumsy bureaucratic machine that can create everything from nothing and turn everything into nothing – this was typical of the entire American automotive industry of those years, when a sluggish wave of the hand of a top manager from Detroit could stop the factory, that would waste millions of dollars, put all the resources in the hands of a genius, and then easily take them away.
Frankly, the film left a sense of euphoria and a desire to reconsider it again to see and hear great people, memorable places, again plunge into fateful decisions, again angry with bureaucracy and crooking (which in his book demolishes and DeLorean). For a person previously fond of racing, such places, names and surnames sound especially sweet - Daytona, Bruce McLaren, Indianapolis, Sebring, Ford Mustang and Shelby Cobra, Le Mans, Phil Hill, Lee Iacocca, Detroit, Enzo Ferrari, Formula 1, etc. In general, for those who are in the subject, the movie will be especially exciting to watch, but I do not know about the rest - perhaps only thanks to the magnificent play of the actors (the one that Bourne and the Dark Knight) they will sit in a chair. So, if you are just looking for a quilt for the evening, then it is not a fact that Ford v Ferrari will suit you.
But let’s move on to the story itself – how Ford entered one of the most prestigious races in the world and beat the permanent leader in the form of Ferrari. The story is quite famous, the film is a little simplified and quite romanticized, but this does not get worse. This movie is made with great love and respect for detail, perfectly conveys the era and mood of the automotive corporation, and you believe every hero, as if it were a real Carol Shelby, Lee Iacocca, Ken Miles, Enzor Ferrari. You really believe in the vain and disgustingly radiant smiling Leo Bibi performed by Josh Lucas, in your own skin you feel the hopes and disappointments of the whole team, which is first given full carte blanche, and then everything is taken away.
Oh, my God, what kind of cars are recreated here! A whole collection of amazing serial and racing cars of those times. Undoubtedly, the effect of presence at the races is also very well conveyed - the viewer almost himself rushes along the tracks, listens to the roar of engines, waits for the needle at 7000 revolutions and presses on the gas. The last time I did so well was at the 2013 Race. And, what is remarkable, all 2.5 hours the viewer is not bored, because the way the story was created is presented very qualitatively. Everything was interesting – how mechanics right at the race mount a new brake system, how the family is worried about the driver, how the Ford Mustang was presented to the world and what one of our ironic heroes said about him, how cars race on race tracks and at test runs, how Enzo Ferrari raises his hat in recognition of the merits of Ken Miles and much, much more... So the moment the film ends, you have a real, all-round regret that it ended and that it didn’t work out.
In general, I highly recommend watching for lovers of cars and races.
7000 & nbsp;turns and more — is simply prohibitive.
Once, car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and racer Ken Miles (Christian Bale) combined their passion and skill under the Ford emblem, challenging corporations to create a brand new racing sports car that could compete with Enzo Ferrari at the World Championships (24 Hours of Le Mans), in France. But not everything is so easy for the main characters, all thanks to the constant intervention of the main characters of Ford and the fact that the company itself was too far from competing with Ferrari.
As it turns out, Shelby himself cannot ride at speeds over 200 km / h. The retired driver, who has already won this daily competition, does not allow his health. At the helm is the brave pilot Ken Miles (renewed weight loss Christian Bale with a determined look and sarcastic grin), in any situation retaining dignity.
Discharges the atmosphere in the middle of the problems of the characters - Molly (Katrina Balfe), Miles' wife, often appears in the company of these serious men. She will support with soda, and play along, but she will arrange a tantrum, and she will not miss on the road to accelerate. Peter (Noah Jupe) is always with Dad. True friends: together going to the race, to test a new car, together lie on the track and consider a circle on the horizon. Through relationships with family members, the writers create a more voluminous image of the rider - not only a professional, but a husband and father.
All the “charms” of racing are shown here very effectively. Fires and collisions, as well as the angles chosen to demonstrate what is happening on the track, are adequately presented. Shelby's team quickly does all the work on the sports car. Adrenaline and drive, as well as tension, are experienced with Ken Miles - the full effect of immersion. The final race at Le Mans is simply gorgeous.
It turned out an excellent bright duet of Matt Damon and Christian Bale. The relationship between Ken and Carroll is built on three components: professional respect, mutual assistance, friendship. They are more connected than work. Shelby tolerates Miles and his explosive nature. Together, they are ready to start a rebellion against the more important figures - they know that neither of them will give up their principles. At some points, you directly believe that riders are able to communicate with the help of telepathy, when one stands at the fence, and the second turns circles on the track. But anyway, it's all about skill, which both of them have outstanding. The fight between the characters in the middle of the story looks funny, but the ending is strong, very emotional. Characters of the 2nd plan - normally complement the tape. In addition to the wife and son of Miles, Tracy Letts stands out, who performed the image of Henry Ford II - the chief manager of Ford. A tycoon for whom his brand and reputation are paramount. It is important for him and his cabinet officials to wipe the nose of Enzo Ferrari and take revenge as soon as possible. Carroll Shelby manages to give a drive to the chief manager with the words: "Try in the case, your invested $ 9 million."
"Ford vs Ferrari" - a great movie, which was shot beautifully and intelligently directed by James Mangold ("Logan"). This sports biopic manages to well combine a slender balance: focusing on strong dramaturgy; the right direction of the motorsport vector into an entertaining character. Yes, there is no deepening into the history of Le Mans itself, but the story of two comrades-friends immerses and holds until the very end. Biographical drama, in which there is a place for friendship, love, and corporate showdowns. And the most important thing is the cool wheelbarrows, as well as the emerging magic of the struggle for the championship on the racing Olympus.
8.5 out of 10
The history of the confrontation between Ford and Ferrari and the personal hostility of their owners is well known in the circles of riders. And this is not surprising, because for two car manufacturers, the 60s were marked by both years of decline and bright rise. Today, this story has gained a second life thanks to a worthy adaptation of James Mangold.
The author of successful works - "The Interrupted Life", for which Jolie received her Oscar, "Break the Line", where the popular today Joaquin Phoenix played a very lyrical role, "Train to Yuma", which revived the western genre in the second half of the 2000s and even the fantastic "Logan" - took up the real history of the world of racing, dipping us into the atmosphere of the 60s with his head. Having created the appropriate picture, he backed up his success with a very successful choice of actors - Matt Damon and Christian Bale. And there’s no denying that people in the movies will go to this movie because of this couple.
I confess that before the session, I did not specifically get acquainted with the real facts, so as not to spoil the impressions of the actors and not to grumble: “But it was not so!” (which I advise you, otherwise you will run into spoilers). I really wanted to just enjoy Bale on the screen - always so different, interesting and even mysterious. But Damon was so simple (in a good way) that he even traced the features of his character Mark Watney from the movie The Martian. Anyway, the duo did it. What about the story?
Rarely do you find yourself in a movie without personal conflict. Think about it, even when war movies are shown to us, they always have heroes through whom the whole drama of what is happening is revealed. Here the director managed not to drown the real story of the great confrontation in the people who became its participants. Yes, he did not tell everything, but it prompted the viewer (or only will) to get acquainted with this part of the history of the automotive industry of the World.
It’s sad when there’s no way to pinpoint the chronology in the film, when you don’t fully understand what happened and when and what the timing of the events is like in Ford v Ferrari. And that's probably the only drawback in the picture for me. With the rest of the film crew managed to cope. Not bad camera decisions, atmospheric music and moments where your heart seems to be about to jump out. Usually, the most vivid emotions in cinema for many are tears of happiness or grief (it all depends on what moment is presented and what you can empathize with). But then I several times caught myself thinking that I was so worried about what was happening in the movie that sometimes I just wanted to jump on the chair in the hall and shout like on football: “Come on! Come on! Come on! – is it not an indicator of a great film, when you are like yourself in the picture and somewhere from the podium looking at how race cars fly past you at a speed of 200 km / h?
Go to the cinema for this film is definitely: a little chromakey, live shooting, the atmosphere of speed, the roar of the engine and emotions that you are unlikely to get at home – these are the components that will be able to immerse you as much as possible with the right environment with the right people, and this is me, of course, about Damon and Bale.
“Who are you when you have 7,000 under you?”
9 out of 10
Blah, blah, blah, I’m not going to tell you in detail what Ferrari vs. Ford did, who is in the lead roles, and why all of this. At the end of the day, anyone who gets to the bottom of the film knows exactly what the story is about and what to expect from it. The main thing you need to know is whether the viewer liked the film and whether it is worth it? The simple and concise answer is yes. In 150 minutes, you will recoup every penny invested in the ticket and be impressed. It's good when you're a racing fan, you know history and you know personalities, but it's even better if you're just a superficial connoisseur and you know that every car should have about four wheels, and the man in the helmet behind the steering wheel is a racer. This is a contrasting picture for, for example, “Once upon a time ... in Hollywood” – there, without knowing the basics, the answer to the question “Why was it filmed and why did I watch it?” may not be known.
Plot
The plot is racing, racing, racing, cars, and racing. And Ken Miles' relationship with his family, with Carroll Shelby and with the top of Ford. It says the story is overloaded and drawn out. I disagree. Each branch, which is introduced at the beginning or in the middle, reveals the subsequent cause of an event. Ford sales fall and marketers fail? We need something cool, let's hit Le Mans! Wanted peace with Ferrari, but got a war? This and much more will be told, albeit casually and very quickly.
Characters
A significant portion of the script time snatched chic, as always, Bale. Only on the "Power" he walked around with a proud 120-kg tummy, and now he is almost a new version of "Machinist": dry (even skinny), but with burning eyes. Second place is Matt. He has less charisma, less face play, but Damon has enough to be himself to grace any movie (except Suburbicon, he did the opposite).
Next are Balf, Bernthal, and did not change the image after the “Miracle” Jupe (now his dad was not Damon (all the same “Suburbicon”), and Bale – I hope he did not confuse them during the filming) and was happy to see Ray McKinnon – all on an adult and very bright level. One of the brightest examples of the film, where minor characters have a significant role for the whole picture.
Atmosphere
Everything is roaring, humming, shaking, and you are trembling with Ken - the car warms up, rushes from side to side, sometimes breaks down and sometimes even on the verge of fire: you more than understand. All this atmosphere of flight, speed, jerks and race as a whole is conveyed qualitatively, professionally and reverently. You're racing against Ferarry and you want to catch up with those damn 2 laps as much as Miles, but where you'd already let the gas pedal go, Miles keeps pushing to the end.
Result
I didn't miss 150 minutes of the movie. Absolutely. The beginning, the middle, the result, the final twist - everything flows smoothly, ties into a whole picture and makes you think after the film that if the keys to the same GT40 Mk II were at hand now, then you would definitely give the gas to the end. At least to my apartment. Well, this feeling of light adrenaline is the most important thing to take out of the film.
9 out of 10
At the beginning, I want to make a reservation right away - in general, I evaluate James Mangold's film positively, 7 out of 10 on the traditional 10-point. I predict that he will have 4-5 nominations for the Oscars & #39; - several technical (most likely editing, sound, editing sound effects) plus Christian Bale for Best Supporting Actor (most likely, the nomination is not implemented). 'Ford vs. Ferrari' if you evaluate it from a purely industrial, technical side - exemplary cinema.
Nevertheless, despite all the advantages of the tape, it is possible that during viewing only shortcomings will come to mind.
This is a paradox.
The explanation is simple. Aesthetically 'Ford v Ferrari' - wreckage. A fragment of the famous great Hollywood style. The style itself fell victim to globalization and the general cultural crisis of cinema; ' Ford v Ferrari' saved what is possible, but not everything.
What are the features of the great Hollywood style? It's a romantic dramaturgy. It's the protagonist and antagonist. It is a conflict that decides the fate of both of them. It is a moral imperative that a hero wins because he is a hero, not a villain. This is Shakespeare’s scope, if not action, then moral message.
And here? Yes, if you dig, the antagonist to the main character can be found here, and not one - but they are all reduced literally to the background. When you watch the tape, paying attention to its dramaturgy, all these contractions are visible to the naked eye. For example, most of the action takes place in the 60s in Detroit. In Detroit!! Surely, in the original version of the script, it was somehow beaten - classic Hollywood never missed this. But here the location plays absolutely no role in the development of the plot. Detroit and Detroit. A moral message - what's the moral message? Well, there is also no romantic dramaturgy, and the conflict is by and large minuscule in size. The story is a story, an anecdote, not a novel, about Enzo Ferrari falling out with Henry Ford (both ultimately portrayed as extras).
It is clear that the creators of the film were forced to do so, if only because the moral conflict and moral message in the drama of classical Hollywood are directly opposite to those accepted in modern Hollywood. In the USSR it was called ' rotten compromise'. So 'Ford vs. Ferrari' is also a symptom of the aesthetic crisis in Hollywood.
' What kind of crisis?' - someone will probably ask.'What kind of crisis can there be if Hollywood tapes are in the top ten of all charts in the world?'
Classical Hollywood offered heroes who wanted to imitate, who wanted to make a life. There are even two characters here - Carol Shelby (Matt Damon) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale), and they are depicted by both writers and actors in the best possible way. But here are just imitation objects of them do not want to do at all: think, designer and racer. How many millions did they make?
A new autobiographical film about sports racing in an interesting time interval - the mid-1960s, tells the story of the friendship between car designer Carroll Shelby and British racer Ken Miles, played by Matt Damon and Christian Bale. All this is filmed under the careful guidance of James Mangold, familiar to many from the films ' Logan', ' Train to Yuma'. So what happened to that?
Fasten your seat belts and get comfortable.
Ken Miles was the best driver for designer Carroll Shelby, who raced and was the first to cross the finish line. It is built around Shelby, who is tasked with building a racing car for 90 days. This is where it all starts. The story is built around the relationship of two obsessive and dedicated friends, showing how hard work, perseverance and testing each other for strength, result and victory are achieved.
-Molly, bring me a soda, and he doesn't need it, he will drink his own.
The composition here is amazing. Ken Miles once again shows that acting is an art. Promised not to play again with his weight, Bale dropped 30kg of weight to fit into a small race car. But that's the word. The best pilot Shelby attracts with his irresistible charisma, inexorable character of an obsessed racer and a touching family man, forcing him to clench his fists at another tense moment, empathizing as if he were a co-pilot. In a duet with Kristan Bale, American designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), an experienced man with strong convictions and position, ready to go to the end. More calm than his friend, Damon’s hero is on the front lines, as Henry Ford 2 (Tracy Letts) told him, Come on, Carol, fight. No doubt there is no reason not to enjoy this wonderful duo.
Ford can't stand people like us because we're different.
For full immersion in the atmosphere of cinema, a significant role is played by shooting, plan and musical accompaniment. It can’t be all about acting alone. Unexpected angles, a beautiful plan and approach of director James Mangold will pleasantly absorb you into the world of the 60s, and decorate the picture with a beautiful soundtrack. Those who are well acquainted with the work of the director easily recognize the signature touches. The visual design of the era of that time is a separate topic that deserves no less attention. In detail, the work is visible to the naked eye, whether it is a scene on the porch of a house or at a race in France. Aesthetically, you can't come off.
There's a perfect track, see?
- Yeah, I see. And most of them don't.
Based on real events, the sports drama about friendship, devotion, faith in oneself and each other will dilute the melancholy autumn mood, without having serious competitors in its genre. The film has all the components so that you can definitely watch it.
10 out of 10
Well, run strictly in the wind, and maybe in the life of every disemboweled loser there will be a chance, the moment when the snail gets out of the shell to skip this endless hundred meters like no one has ever done before - it's not easy, but everyone is capable of this, whether in the millstone, or in the wheel of a pathetic racing sports car - it does not matter at all. You will be ground with mechanisms in any case, the only question is whether you will be able to exalt a beautiful picture before that, where a little boy from childhood appears as the most important and cool hero. A hero, around whom dark circles are spread, painted by the most mean, hypocritical and greedy artists. And now the hero already puts on a helmet, jumps into his car and rushes at impossible speed along the track. With the same precision, scrupulousness and precision with which the endoscope passes into the unfortunate doomed man, our rider flies corners and presses on the gas at the most necessary moment. And then victory or death, this net of silt, or sweet or permafrost, or the final straight or sacred grass, takes you into its arms forever. But the engine growls, and I worry about the people I love, as I would worry about every ant creeping down the highway. Through eternal lamentations and efforts, he carries one small branch to his ant metropolis, so that his family and all loved ones live a little better. Does this not deserve at least an inner respect?
But any story on either side is personal and intimate. And here's my underbelly, let's touch the private room inside of me. And now I'm lying on the couch, the anesthesiologist slowly and confidently injected me with the drug, he talks to me, calms me down, creates a favorable atmosphere so that the little boy is not afraid of anything. The head begins to spin pleasantly, the body departs, the mind slowly departs to another dimension. And while the good doctors are manipulating the next body, the little boy is flying somewhere in a vacuum, in a black space that holds billions of years and any number of memories and escapic images of the patient's choice. Some operatic howls sound against the background, and I dream of the gloss and brilliance of the world that should be at the very top. Dream of what every lucky rider gets when he comes to the finish of an important race. As always, I see these colored pictures – Dolce Gabbana, Givenshi and Yoji Yamamoto, Porsche, Maserati and Ferrari, Tesla, EPAM and KOALCO, Chinese national banks and Tinkoff (no, this is no longer necessary). And the rider races exactly there, to the dream, and in the end it will always be clear who is the true hero here, and who is a wet wipe. And I'm just a boy who has the honor of watching all this.
A person must rely on his neighbor and sincerely love the car in which he enters into a deadly ride. And I'm already flying into this game, I can't stop myself, there's no one around, so I just have to keep going. This is nonstop, as exostosis cuts off the creator all the disturbing painful elements and makes such comparisons on his canvas, from which the head of many can imitate hulahoop. Ford or Ferrari, right? Matt Damon and Christian Bale, right? Like a climber, like a swordfish in the belly of a shark, like a lizard under a bulldozer, like Tom Cruise and a damn hundred, how confidently he rides, saying aloud memorized affirmations, like a snail on a slope and a lonely Stork Marabu on a sloping corpse bank of World War II, like a jungle and a derby, like a rat and a harpoon, like Billy Bob Thornton and Santa Claus, as another hotbed of resistance, as an art of twelve, as an ulcer of twelve, as a stork, as a stork, as an old man, as a stork, as a stork, as a stork, as an old man from the pole, as an old man, and as a prisoner of desire, as an old man, as a stodre, as a stodre, and as a stoch, as a stodre, as a stodre, as a stoch, as an old man, as an old man, as an old man, and as a
Ooh! We need a break. Wait a second. Americans passionately want to surpass everyone in everything, the alleged authority, reputation and monetization of what is possible. Sports interest grows into aggressive expansion and obsessive superiority as an end in itself. The machine breaks down ordinary enthusiasts willing to work for an idea. And it all started when a guy came up with a stupid idea, and that idea led to dozens of bold and atypical decisions. And in the end, a simple human drama. “Your father was my friend. He also thought you were the best. And he was better than all of them put together – the best words that every son dreams of hearing. And my Ocelot always hears praise and sweet words from me, for he is my true friend, and it would never occur to me to turn my back on him. His glowing eyes daily reflect the joy that he accumulates under the influence of my caresses and films like this. Can we do well? Of course, it is always possible and the Academy will be happy, and the audience will want to personally shake hands with someone who has done such a painstaking job. Both Ford and Ferrari, it could have been the property of some modern footballer, had he been at that time. Icons of bright sports cinema will gather all in one top in a few days to take the time of one moviegoer.
Personally, I would choose a panda, but again, people need speed, drive and ecstasy, which can be extracted from the footage, in which dirt on the tires and righteous sweat coexist with frenzied heat and possible brake failure. I’m writing this and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a human being, too, and I can succumb to such simple, public things that almost anyone falls in love with from the first minute of immersion. Breaking motors and dancing bananas, pain and disappointment, the same story stretches to people of all times and peoples. Every man who puts in enough effort will get his own bar of gold, every gunfighter will find his opponent, and then get a bullet in the heart from another. Every rider will reach his finish, whether it be honor and laurels or a mean bump on the road. It's not easy to understand, it's even harder to fix in your mind, but I believe many people can. And I end this text like a wise kung fu master before the final blow, leaving the opponent a chance to redeem, escape and save his life.
What is the key to a good strong movie? This is an interesting plot, a good director, talented actors, a quality picture. “Ford vs. Ferrari” – a film based on real events about the confrontation of two giant car companies, promised to be just such a film.
Did they succeed? Let's figure it out!
Director and story
James Mangold is a very special director. He knows how to correctly put the story on the one hand, on the other hand, not all his techniques work. His films are often dry, but always have a pleasant taste. In the case of Ford v Ferrari, the same is true. Mengold seems to tell the driving story of Le Mans races and Ford’s stunning triumph, but he drives along this road quite calmly and slowly and from time to time making stops for philosophical reasoning. So the story is a little different than we expected. Surprisingly, the main opponents of the main characters were not the Italian manufacturers of Ferrari cars, but the bureaucracy and conservatism of top managers of Ford itself. This is a very interesting film trip.
Actors and characters
The film boasts a cool cast. The main decoration in my opinion is Christian Bale as the dashing racer Ken Miles. His charisma and facial expressions fully convey the emotions that the rider experiences while riding. Considering that he dropped dozens of pounds again during the year after Power, it is safe to say that this is another Oscar nomination. Carol Shelby’s role isn’t the best of Matt Damon’s career, but it’s convincing. In addition to them comes Tracy Letts, playwright and Pulitzer Prize winner, in this case depicting Henry Ford II. He turned out to be a very impressive tycoon, capable of crying like a frightened boy, instilling terror in the staff of the whole factory. Moderately expressive and difficult roles went to John Bernthal and Josh Lucas, their characters will not be bored, there is no unnecessary dialogue in the picture.
Operation and sound
The film just has a very juicy picture. Racing scenes are exactly what it's worth going for. They are filmed in such a way that special attention is focused on the driver behind the sports car, thereby conveying to the viewer his life emotions and real experiences. Combined with an amazing sound, all the action on the screen turns into a real spectacle, which cannot be detached from. I will make a reservation that the 24-hour race in Le Mans in the film is given about 30 minutes.
Through a close-up, the creators mount an inexhaustible, full of passion for the race: both the father at the wheel and the son at the TV. The director also uses the close-up as a percussion, punching a chord in the final.
So, Ford vs. Ferrari is a great biopic based on a true story of victory and triumph. Yes, it may be too long (2.5 hours), perhaps some moments will seem controversial, but it certainly will not leave you indifferent.
8 out of 10
Broth is a funny name. Micah Salo more. Coulthart, Barrichello. Schumacher, of course. Michael is in the top, and brother Ralph is a little further away. It may not be soup, but in the old hissing TV it seemed like that. As a child, a dozen more names would be easy to name. I loved racing, but couldn’t explain why.
Now I understand that more advanced developments were only in military production. Materials that were invented in garages, schemes of the most daring and unprecedented mechanisms. The best engineers, crazy racers, the pinnacle of Man’s achievements in the pursuit of incredible speeds, to the limit of characteristics, to the limit achievable in earthly conditions. Remove the wing and into space!
Eternal confrontation:
• Spectacularity of accidents against millions of prices for cars,
• Reporters’ thirst for blood against priceless brand racers
durability of materials against speed and overload,
Seconds against accidents,
• grooves on tires against water droplets,
• Pilots vs. pilots,
• each body line against the air wall,
Regulations against the ingenuity of engineers,
Rotten formalism versus common sense.
• Stamped scenario against drive frames,
Ford vs. Ferrari.
It was a pleasure to see the movie in IMAX. I shook my soul, I shook my chin on the highway. But for most of the film – banal dialogues and close-ups, Imax is not needed.
Although life is richer than our imagination, and it happens “like in the movies”, but life in the cinema – a biopic – almost always loses to what we are already used to seeing on the screen. The history of the confrontation of brands, personal ambitions, undercover fuss without losing credibility, apparently, is difficult to make fascinating. Especially if you cast in a form-stamping of flat non-composite characters. Fortunately, for lovers of the outside – the roar of cars, the rattling of metal, speed – other driving scenes are enough. Stained Christian Bale and chewing Matt Damon are attached.
But it will definitely resonate in the soul of those who dream in front of the screen of a faster life.
Coulthart. Soup. Salo.
After experimenting with superheroics, James Mangold turned to more mundane themes. His new work, Ford vs Ferrari, takes him into the wonderful world of racing. The story, based on real events, is presented on behalf of designer Carroll Shelby and racer Ken Miles. Diluting it with a pinch of sentiments, the wizard Mangold turned the sports drama into a beautiful movie for family viewing.
In this story, there was a place for friendship, marriage relationships, and corporate bosses. The latter are at the forefront, constantly reminding that the race begins in the offices. But if the first half hour passes at the tables, then the action goes to the race track. And here lies the main problem - the characters who are given the introduction, subsequently lost in the background, only occasionally firing from prepared guns. Although they shoot very well, the script trio and the director clearly lack 152 minutes. Perhaps that is why they spend their time on a fairly standard narrative, which does not prevent them from enjoying the spectacle.
An amazing thing turned out: the film is woven from template scenes, but the authors do not want to reproach the hack. For every banal scene there is a spectacular scene with Bale, the cardboard of the second plan overlaps with them. And where Christian disappears, cars appear. The cinema is technically excellent. Cars flying on the screen make you forget about the cabinet heroes, about whom the scriptwriters forgot after the first act.
There hasn’t been a movie like this since Ron Howard’s 2013 Race, and it’s unlikely to happen in the near future. It's a pity that Mangold's creation risks rushing past audiences with the same ease with which Christian Bale lost weight for a 30kg role.
The action of this exciting picture takes place in the mid-60s, when the car company Ford, under the leadership of Henry Ford II, decided to create its own racing car and overtake the legendary red Ferraris at the famous 24-hour Grand Prix of Endurance and Economy at Le Mans. The main characters of the film were two outstanding racers and racing engineers of his time - Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, who were brilliantly played by Matt Damon and Christian Bale. Unacquainted with this real story, viewers probably should not climb into Wikipedia and read as it really was, in order to preserve the intrigue of the decisive races until the end of the film. Those who are raving about motorsport and know more about the race of the 66th year than the director of the film James Mangold and all three of its writers combined, it will still be pleasant to plunge into this indescribable atmosphere of risky adrenaline confrontation between Ford and Ferrari drivers.
This picture is also attractive by the fact that it surprisingly contains a place not only the roar of the V-shaped seven-liter eight, but also various bureaucratic delays that only prevent Shelby from developing a competitive racing car. Since “Ford vs. Ferrari” is primarily a picture of the Ford Motor Company, and the Ferrari S.p.A. acts only as a red rag for an angry bull, the main battles take place here still inside the American automaker, even when the tachometer arrow racing along the track race car enters the red zone. Henry Ford II wants to wipe the nose of Enzo Ferrari, but some people in his entourage, besides having their own plans, are completely unable to understand that it is not the car that comes to the finish line, but the driver. By the way, the film is rather curiously portrayed the image of Lee Iacocca - an outstanding and one of the most famous top managers in the history of the world automotive industry - who brewed all this mess with racing and achieved the desired result (launch of the racing program) rather not due to his efforts, but in spite.
Carroll Shelby is a former rider (who won at Le Mans and ended his career for health reasons), and now a designer, accepts Ford’s offer and starts work. But first he needs a great pilot. Ken Miles is a slightly infantile and arrogant guy, thoroughly soaked in engine oil and gasoline. He lives in motorsport and merges with his iron horse during racing. But a virtuoso driver is also an engineer who can figure out what’s wrong with his car and how to improve it. That is why the duet of Shelby and Miles is so important for Ford. In addition to male images in the film there is one female – the wife of Ken Molly, played quite rarely starred Katrina Balfe. A little old-fashioned, one of the two main characters is revealed through a relationship with his wife, while the other, through confrontation with other men. However, this is not a bad thing and only humanizes Miles even more and kind of sets him apart from everyone else.
James Mangold, who knows how to shoot both dramatic ("Interrupted Life"), biographical ("Cross the Line"), and entertaining pictures ("Logan"), managed to make a truly driving, forced canvas full of fascinating car racing (for which I must say thank you to the operator Fidon Papamichael) and beautifully built drama. In principle, “Ford vs. Ferrari” is a fairly simple movie, telling about brave pioneers, experimenters, ordinary enthusiastic guys risking their lives (at that time motorsport was especially dangerous, speeds increased, and security systems left much to be desired). But at the same time, such films, without a second bottom and hidden subtexts that can inspire, and just energize the viewer, are recently just not enough. Therefore, it does not matter how you feel about the world of motorsport, watching this picture should bring you only pleasure.
9 out of 10
Participation euphoria. Film Review: “Ford Against Ferrari”
In the new film by James Mangold, the director of “Break the Line” and “Logan”, the ambitions of a big movie and a simple blockbuster audience are surprisingly mixed. Based on real events, the picture “Ford vs Ferrari” consciously does not reach for the stars, since its adrenaline rhythm simply does not notice them, rushing past at full speed, leaving competitors far behind. And watching all these actions is not boring all 152 minutes of timekeeping, even if sports racing is not a very diverse event in terms of camera work, staging and retention of attention. The film was made with maximum awe and involvement of the viewer in what is happening, as if sitting him behind the wheel of a racing car for two and a half hours.
You can’t say that in terms of the script “Ford v Ferrari” invents something new or surprises with some unusual findings and solutions. No, on the contrary, Mangold made a very straightforward film about one particular historical episode, showing everything from the perspective of two daring, bold and full of testosterone, with machine oil-stained shirts and with blistered calluses on the hands of Christian Bale and Matt Damon. At the same time, it is noticeable that the director tried to go into objectivity, showing all the actors from a neutral side. Partly it is so, there are quite a lot of heroes and the film manages to devote its five minutes of fame to all, but this time is clearly not enough, that, for obvious reasons, it is certainly not the fault of the script.
While watching "Ford vs Ferrari" in the eye catches unsaid or undisclosed to the end of the whole story arcs, which clearly cut out the middle, leaving only the most-most. This is most likely due to the huge amount of material shot in the production process. With the editing, the film is in complete order - it harmoniously fits into the overall super-powerful racing rhythm, while competently diluting the dynamics with a quiet, calm and lively conversation. Due to the fact that timekeeping is not rubber, especially in mainstream cinema, which already rarely exceeds the mark of more than two hours, a lot was cut from the film, which leaves a feeling of understatement after watching.
Therefore, starting with the second act, the tape shifts all its attention only to the characters of Christian Bale and Matt Damon, scattering all the others in the second and third planes. Because of this, there is a small problem - all the characters, except the two main ones, look more like historical dummies, scenery of the era or just template attributes of the genre, rather than living prototypes, which would be as interesting to watch as the main protagonists. And to be clear, even if “Ford vs. Ferrari” had at least a car of completed and interesting storylines, they would not be worth a cent, being next to Matt Damon and cool, like a living embodiment of Steve McQueen, the character of Christian Bale.
Ken Miller (Christian Bale) is a talented British racing driver who feels the engine of a car as skillfully as a good surgeon feels the human heart. While driving, Ken not only merges with the car, becoming one with it, he literally becomes an extension of his car. He is a sociopath, probably, after participating in the war, he has major problems in communicating with others, and even more so with corporate bosses, who do not like the hot-tempered manner of behavior very much, since it spoils the image of the company.
Carol Shelby (Matt Damon) is a former racing driver obsessed with speed and passion for the car engine, forced for health reasons to retrain as a designer who sells cars. He is the main and perhaps the only friend of Ken, except for his wife and son. Carol is a man who metaphorically holds the frame of the car, the team and the insignificant paper issues, he always knows what to do, but can not always afford it due to a number of legal problems, which are the main conflict for him and for the whole film.
Both actors create chemistry between their characters. But no matter how good Matt Damon is, who is playing really well, he completely pales next to his closest colleague Christian Bale. It is impossible to believe, but quickly gaining weight for “Power”, Bale in just 7 months between shooting in two projects managed to lose 30 kg to embody the image of Ken Miller on the screen. And this crazy fact is only a small part of all the work Bale has done. He once again blurred the line between his personality and the character's personality - he became Ken Miller, with ever-dirty skin, an angry face, but full of sadness, human suffering and love eyes. Bale's hero often says nothing, allowing the camera to fix his eyes, mirroring everything for which words can sometimes be very difficult to choose.
Directing Mangold in “Ford vs Ferrari” and all goes to a new for him technological range. Understanding how to work with biographical material, changing it to the artistic way, improving its perception, Mangold had a long time. But the hand of the mass director stuffed on major studio projects is now felt in all its glory - the director masterfully owns all the tools available to him, turning even the race in his film into a superhero movie on wheels. Cars do not just rush at full speed along the track, Mangold creates the illusion of flying a rocket, behind the fuselage of which are flaunted kilometers of asphalt concrete. Showing all two and a half hours of the same circular movements from different angles, points of view and fully understand your business, and even so that it is not boring - is expensive.
“Ford vs. Ferrari” is an adrenaline car marathon from James Mangold, charged with the lion’s share of testosterone, fueled by stunning soundtrack and animal passion for speed. The ideal male movie will suit a hungry for such a mass viewer, it perfectly emphasizes the euphoria of participation in the race, and not the victory that goes more often to promoted idiots than talented people, on whom everything is held in this world. In any case, time will put the true winners in their places, taking their moments of glory, awarding immortality. James Mangold put up, condemning corporate rats for not being able to look beyond their noses and thanking all the fans of his business for participating, not afraid to devote their lives to something more than a demonstrative victory.
8 out of 10
