• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Science
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Tech

Ford v Ferrari is an exhilarating, joyful high-speed ride

November 15, 2019

No Luck In Search For Remaining Bodies On New Zealand Volcano

December 14, 2019

Disagreement Drags UN Climate Talks Into Second Extra Day

December 14, 2019

Local Dems in pro-Trump districts face impeachment-vote minefield

December 14, 2019

Lawsuit says $44M Ferrari 250 GTO is missing a part

December 14, 2019

Mexico objects over US bill on ratifying trade pact

December 14, 2019

Powerball Drawing For 12/14/19: Jackpot is $150 Million

December 14, 2019

Three bodies found beneath the Alamo during archaeological dig

December 14, 2019

Guardiola Claims Man City A Victim Of Their Own Success

December 14, 2019

Lebanon: Police clash with anti-government protesters in Beirut

December 14, 2019

Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin’s 428 pardons are upsetting both Democrats and Republicans

December 14, 2019

Analysis: What could North Korea’s ‘Christmas gift’ to the US be?

December 14, 2019

No. 13 Memphis outlasts No. 19 Tennessee, avenges loss

December 14, 2019
DNYUZ
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Opinion
    • Politics
    • Science
    • U.S.
    • World

    No Luck In Search For Remaining Bodies On New Zealand Volcano

    Disagreement Drags UN Climate Talks Into Second Extra Day

    Local Dems in pro-Trump districts face impeachment-vote minefield

    Lawsuit says $44M Ferrari 250 GTO is missing a part

    Mexico objects over US bill on ratifying trade pact

    Powerball Drawing For 12/14/19: Jackpot is $150 Million

    Three bodies found beneath the Alamo during archaeological dig

    Guardiola Claims Man City A Victim Of Their Own Success

    Lebanon: Police clash with anti-government protesters in Beirut

    Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin’s 428 pardons are upsetting both Democrats and Republicans

    Trending Tags

    • Donald Trump
    • Robert Mueller
    • Joe Biden
    • William Barr
    • Elizabeth Warren
    • Bernie Sanders
    • Kamala Harris
    • Nancy Pelosi
    • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
  • Tech
    • All
    • Apps
    • Autos
    • Gear
    • Mobile
    • Startup

    Tech for stopping plague of robocalls is on the way

    Fortnite game reveals exclusive Star Wars trailer, but some users can’t log in

    The growth of cognitive search in the enterprise, and why it matters

    J.J. Abrams shows off Star Wars clip inside Fortnite, and now lightsabers are in the game

    The Snapchat cat filter shows how little we know about cat cognition

    Vermont, Oklahoma and Now Topeka, Kan., Want You

    Huawei Loses 5G Deal In Norway, Telenor Opts For Ericsson 5G

    T-Mobile CEO takes the stand in T-Mobile/Sprint merger trial

    The Game Awards 2019: All The Big Announcements And Surprises

    Google, Apple asked if apps like TikTok must disclose foreign ties

    Trending Tags

    • Google
    • Apple
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Amazon
    • Playstation
    • Gaming
    • Samsung
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Culture
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Sports
    • Television
    • Theater

    No. 13 Memphis outlasts No. 19 Tennessee, avenges loss

    Fire Breaks Out at New Texas Rangers Stadium

    At Army-Navy game, Trump touts new pro sports option for service academy players

    What Time Is UFC 245 And How To Watch Online

    Taylor Swift Shared Photos From Her Star-Studded 30th Birthday Party

    At Army-Navy game, Trump touts new pro sports option

    Harry Styles’ Response To Questions About His Sexuality Is So Blunt

    It Sounds Like ‘Watchmen’ Season Two Is a Possibility Now

    Taylor Swift calls out “the unregulated world of private equity”

    Miley Cyrus & Cody Simpson Sang “Old Town Road” After Her Vocal Surgery

    Trending Tags

    • Netflix
    • HBO
    • Hulu
    • Game Of Thrones
  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Architecture
    • Arts
    • Design
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Photography
    • Travel

    Disagreement Drags UN Climate Talks Into Second Extra Day

    How the Superrich Took Over the Museum World

    Kelly Ripa Jokes Daughter Lola, 18, Thinks Everything Her Mom Wears Is ‘Embarrassing and Awful’

    30 Captions For Christmas In Connecticut That Are Beyond Cozy

    Taylor Swift calls out “the unregulated world of private equity”

    Starbucks apologizes after uniformed officers were refused service

    Why do so many black women die from childbirth in the US? One reason: racism

    ‘Show must go on’: Vanna White gives update on Alex Trebek’s cancer treatment

    Art Review: Edith Halpert, American Tastemaker & Art Lover

    Theater Review: ‘A Christmas Carol’ a Joyous Rendering of Dickens’s Classic Story

    Trending Tags

    • Mental Health
    • Beauty
No Result
View All Result
DNYUZ
No Result
View All Result
Home Entertainment Movie

Ford v Ferrari is an exhilarating, joyful high-speed ride

November 15, 2019
in Movie
4 min read
251 2
492
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

On paper, James Mangold’s based-on-a-true-story racing film Ford v Ferrari is a pretty standard good ol’ boys movie. Race-car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and irascible driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) do a good-cop, bad-cop routine through the international racing circuit while sticking it to The Man, or in this case, a variety of men representing The Man. They’re highly specific personalities, but also underdog sports-hero tropes: the rebels who upend the status quo by doing things their own way, leading to inspirational victories.

But Mangold’s direction makes the film something bigger. His writing and directing on films like Logan, Walk the Line, and 3:10 to Yuma shows his knack for reinventing and improving familiar stories, and Ford v Ferrari doesn’t break from that tradition. Shelby and Miles’ story is compelling, but Mangold digs deeper to find the motor that propels Ford v Ferrari across the finish line. There’s a reason cars become a preoccupation for kids, why filmgoers love the Fast and Furious movies, why Sonic and Captain Falcon are so appealing, and why competitive racing has such a following. Going fast is exciting.

Every Ford v Ferrari sequence that involves a car is a thrill, with the revving of the engine dominating the soundscape as cars rush past at seemingly impossible speeds. Mangold cracks Ford v Ferrari open right on the race course. Shelby is behind the wheel during 1959’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race, driving so fast and so perfectly that his car seems to float up from the road and into an alternate dimension. It’s wonderful, which instantaneously puts Shelby and the audience on the same page as soon as the race is over. We all want to go fast again.

Based on the events leading up to 1966’s 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France, Ford v Ferrari sees Shelby sidelined from driving due to a heart condition. He’s offered a second chance at glory when the Ford Motor Company begins to develop racing ambitions, and wants someone to lead their development team. So he calls on his friend Ken Miles, a great racer whose abrasive personality has kept him out of the major leagues. Shelby is recruited to design a race car for Ford that will beat perennial winner Ferrari at 24 Hours of Le Mans, and he brings Miles on to help test the car and drive it in the race.

It’s not just the car, however, that proves to be an obstacle. The development is a protracted processthat means both Shelby and Miles must leap through yards of bureaucratic red tape. Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) is on board with the racing program, as is Ford Vice President Lee Iacocca (John Bernthal), who suggested it in the first place. But both men have their own idea of how the program should work, which interferes with Shelby’s plans, and the money and egos involved ensure they won’t back down easily. On top of that, a rocky first meeting between Miles and executive Leo Beebe means Beebe will do all he can to keep Miles off of the track.

People familiar with racing history or underdog sports dramas will know well in advance how this all turns out, but Mangold’s baseline focus on speed, speed, speed is enough to make up for any lost suspense. He also doesn’t shy away from the deadliness of racing — cars collide and explode during races, and even during testing, making it a matter of life or death every time Miles gets into a car.

But of course, racing is a calling for these men rather than a hobby, in the same way that Superman ultimately can’t give up saving the world. Damon and Bale, who’ve each played superheroes themselves (Jason Bourne is close enough), capture that feeling well. Writers Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller wisely don’t center the story around Shelby’s own longing for the racetrack: they funnel all his onscreen passion into helping Miles be the first across the finish line. Bale, for once, emanates a sense of fun as Miles, leaning into Miles’ Brummie accent and his hot temper, making him an almost cartoonishly intense maverick — until he finally has to climb into a car and get to racing.

Ford v Ferrari isn’t reinventing the cinematic wheel (and its one-sentence synopsis of “guys racing cars” belies its appeal to those with no interest in racing or sports of any kind), but it’s still impeccably made, with Mangold distilling the story into two essential parts: the thrill of the game, and the thrill of watching people who are good at their jobs do their jobs. That second aspect operates on two levels, both in terms of Shelby and Miles’ efforts to build the perfect car, and in terms of Mangold, Damon, and Bale putting together a thoroughly enjoyable movie.

Ford v Ferrari is in theaters now.

The post Ford v Ferrari is an exhilarating, joyful high-speed ride appeared first on Polygon.

Tags: Movies
Share197Tweet123Share34

Trending Posts

How the Superrich Took Over the Museum World

December 14, 2019

Richard G. Hatcher, Ex-Mayor of Gary, Ind., and Champion of Urban and Black Issues, Dies at 86

December 14, 2019

Tech for stopping plague of robocalls is on the way

December 14, 2019

Second teen arrested in Tessa Majors’ killing released

December 14, 2019

Cory Booker Leads the Charge to Change Debate Rules That Excluded Him

December 14, 2019

Copyright © 2019.

Site Navigation

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • World
    • Science
  • Entertainment
    • Gaming
    • Music
    • Movie
    • Sports
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Gear
    • Mobile
    • Startup
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Health
    • Travel

Copyright © 2019.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In