Following the release of
Logan, there was a huge amount of excitement surrounding what director James Mangold was planning next, particularly if it involved continuing X-23's story. Unfortunately, the Fox/Disney merger put an end to any plans the filmmaker might have had in that regard but his latest movie -
Ford v Ferrari/
Le Mans '66 - still plays out like the story of two real-life superheroes.
Revolving around the real-life story of the unlikely partnership between American car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon,
The Martian) and British race car driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale,
The Dark Knight Trilogy), the movie sees them both having to get past their own respective issues in order to help the Ford Motor Company build and race a car capable of defeating Enzo Ferrari's team at Le Mans. It's not as simple as that, though, thanks to constant interference from executives in Ford and the fact that, simply put, the company was a very,
very long way off from competing with Ferrari back in 1966.
Anchored by two awards worthy performances by Damon and Bale, Mangold takes us on a thrilling, funny, and heart-warming journey which is both a must-see for racing fans and an incredible ride even for those who have never heard of Le Mans. While Bale should definitely be a favourite to receive a "Best Actor" nod at next year's Oscars, it's Caitriona Balfe as Ken's wife who steals the show in many respects. A perfect match for her headstrong husband, she delivers some of the movie's biggest laughs and proves to be an undeniable highlight. Throw in stellar supporting performances from the likes of Jon Bernthal, Tracy Letts, and Josh Lucas, and it's fair to say
Ford v Ferrari boasts one of the best casts of any 2019 release.
While the movie would have benefited at times from delving a little more into the races to better explain their historic significance to audience members unfamiliar with them, the story still delivers in every way possible and includes not only plenty of emotion but racing action which will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. It's genuinely amazing to learn about the risks pioneers in their field like Shelby and Miles went through to obtain perfection and the film does a fantastic job of portraying the impact - both positive and negative - that has on the race track and beyond.
Beautifully shot and perfectly choreographed,
Ford vs Ferrari is a triumph for Mangold and a worthy follow-up to his work on
Logan. It's rare that sports biopics like this manage to find the right balance between strong human drama and an entertaining way to portray something like motor racing on screen but this movie definitely succeeds. Regardless of whether you're a racing enthusiast or don't see what all the fuss is about, it's impossible not to get invested in the story of these two men who, as we mentioned above, were very much real-life superheroes both in terms of their actions and the way they helped change the game over fifty years ago. Ultimately, this is a story which deserved to be told and it's one which is done justice in a way that makes the movie truly unmissable.
Gear up for one of 2019's best movies as director James Mangold delivers edge of your seat thrills along with the compelling story of two legendary racing pioneers and another amazing Christian Bale performance.