Ford v Ferrari

In terms of the craftsmanship and the acting, it’s a precise reconstruction of events, there’s no question about it, and if I was an ardent fan of motor sports I would probably jump in joy, but I can’t put up with the motivational naivete and the explicit fairytale story, where the evil Italians deride the heroic American designers, whose bosses are blithering idiots. The cinematography and, especially, the sound of the races are awesome and Bale is great again, but I would cut twenty minutes off and pay more attention to the balance between the three climaxes, of which only one worked for me. That said, this is a pleasant film and I’ve no reason harbour any hate towards it. (12/24/2019)

The trailers promised a masculine and dense drama that would be both old-school atmospheric and modern at the same time. And that's what we got in the cinemas. Ford v Ferrari may be nearly two and a half hours long, but it paces incredibly well, and the final race is one of the most gripping scenes of the year – though the tinkering with the car in the workshop, the vigorous exchanges between the protagonists and the Ford executives, and the wild testing of what the car and its driver are no less entertaining. James Mangold's film has great heroes whose camaraderie (peppered with the occasional fight between them) you believe in, Christian Bale and Matt Damon are both excellent, and the duel with their Italian adversaries, which lasts perhaps thirty minutes, is literally packed with twists and turns and thrilling moments. Whether it's Bale hurtling down the track at 250 km/h or Damon figuring out how to carve out a few extra seconds in the pits. Aside from a few details, like the overly one-dimensional antagonists, I don't really know much to fault Ford v Ferrari for. Extremely honest filmmaking and one of the contenders for film of the year. (11/07/2019)

A beautiful guys’ story of Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby full of scenes I will probably never forget. Moreover it’s a story from automobile world so beautiful and tragic that I was surprised it wasn’t filmed earlier. After a long time, I felt like was watching something really unique. Matt Damon and Christian Bale absolutely excelled in their performances. Chris was maybe a tiny bit better, because his eccentric character Ken was entertaining due to his complex personality from beginning to the end. And when things came to a head, I had no idea what he would do. And that’s where the charm of this story lies. If you don’t know too many details, you will enjoy it. If you know the details, you will enjoy it too. The shots of beautiful cars with timeless design, absolutely faithful scenes with Henry Ford II. or Enzo Ferrari, as significant for this movie as they were at the time when they really happened, plus a ton of references to the automotive industry of the period (starting with assembly line production and ending with the shots from the Ferrari company in Modena) are the main but not only reasons to award this movie with the full number of stars. This is the kind of movie that will make filmmaking history. And it also portrays a beautifully conveyed true male friendship that knows no boundaries and in this case will live forever. (11/06/2019)

A more sweeping, layered and playful ride than the slightly older Rush, which by the way was much more focused and coherent than this racing part comedy, part drama. In terms of the acting, it's similarly strong, I'd even say Damon delivers one of his best performances, but at times it’s not as hard-hitting and nuanced as Ron Howard's masterpiece. Mangold loses at the finish line, but he’s racing in a slightly different category. The link remains primarily the smell of gasoline. (11/27/2019)

A spectacle as intoxicating as the speed of a race car, perfectly filmed, with amazing sound... It's movies like this, that take me "right there" for a few hours, that make me love cinema the most. In fact, I knew almost nothing about the story of this famous race, and thanks to that it never ceased to surprise me from the beginning to the very end, entertaining me with its speed, insight, and relaxed atmosphere, and constantly seeming to say "It's not over yet, wait for the finale." I waited, and I have to say that this is to Le Mans '66 what a Live Aid concertis to, say, Bohemian Rhapsody – a huge spectacle, enthusiastic and enthralling. Christian Bale is an absolute standout (I realized I last saw him in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises and that's quite a shame) and he's as good with Matt Damon as, say, Robert Redford was back in the day with Paul Newman. James Mangold's direction is precise and the idea of the film is beautiful. I hope there's a book about Ken Miles now. (11/16/2019)