Ford v Ferrari

5th best movie may be an exaggeration, but the best movie about racing it is without a doubt. James Mangold emerges as a guarantee of great quality, serving up a nerve-wracking tale of the most challenging Le Mans race, with both Christian Bale and Matt Damon excelling. At first I struggled to fully immerse myself in the film, but once the car testing began and the actual half hour race itself, packed with complications and suspense, it was a blast. I probably don't need to see it again, but I enjoyed it. 8/10 (12/03/2019)

A memorial to Ken Miles and his friendship with Carroll Shelby. Mangold directs the wonderfully clear screenplay so surehandedly that the two and a half hours spent in the theater just fly by. Ford v Ferrari is a real hit with fantastic race scenes, one-liners from Bale with his brutal British accent and Shelby’s talent as a saboteur. The fight with the big corporation encumbered with a bureaucratic system and dumb managerial decisions works just fine (and in itself mirrors today’s ridiculous times when they couldn’t get the rights to use the title Ford v Ferrari inside the European Union), but it all stands on the performances of Bale, Damon and the Ford GT40. (11/14/2019)

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)

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)

Another great role for Christian Bale, who once again delivers an astonishing performance. This actor and his skills account for about half of the drive of this fun, light-hearted, cool, fast ride with some intimate undertones. In every scene, Mangold’s direction is clearly heading to the climax, which delivers not one but three summaries of the story. But the balance and emotional and intellectual connection of these summaries could be questioned, which constitutes the fatal shortcoming of the film. (11/26/2019)