ReelBob: ‘Ford v Ferrari’ ★★★½

By Bob Bloom

“Ford v Ferrari” is not so much a story of men vs. machine, but more of creative minds vs. corporate bureaucracy. It also portrays a connection between tradition and shortsightedness.

The plot basically follows maverick car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and British-born race driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) who join together to build a race car for the Ford Motor Co. that will take on and dethrone the vehicles of Enzo Ferrari and win the demanding and dangerous 24 Hours at Le Mans.

But director James Mangold, working from a script by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth and Jason Keller, is after more than that.

Mangold makes “Ford v Ferrari” a multitextured story about imagination and innovation and the obstacles thrown at those who attempt to think outside the box.

From the outset, it is made clear that Henry Ford II and his executives are interested in building a competitive race car to win at Le Mans, but also to bolster Ford’s brand and make its vehicles more attractive to younger drivers.

Also involved is pride, especially after Ferrari uses the Ford corporation — which made the Italian executive an offer for his company — as a ploy to entice Fiat to raise its negotiating price for the automaker and allow Ferrari to maintain control of the racing part of his business.

Ford, son of the legendary automaker, is angered and becomes open to hire Shelby to build a race car to take down Ferrari.

When Ford — who everyone calls Deuce behind his back — and Shelby meet, the executive promises the designer complete control over the project.

Pretty soon that promise goes by the wayside as the corporation, led by vice president Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas), begins objecting to some of Shelby’s methods because they are not “the Ford way.”

Beebe especially poisons the mind of Ford II and others about Miles, who he sees as too outspoken, independent and “not a team player” to represent the company as its driver.

One of the major pleasures of “Ford v Ferrari” is Damon’s performance. His Texas twang, Stetson and good-old-boy manner mask a brilliant and inventive mind. Throughout much of the movie, Damon’s Shelby must walk a tightrope between the Ford corporation’s demands and his loyalty to a difficult Miles — who he sees as a savant, a racing-car whisperer who notices the slightest defect or imperfection while testing the various concepts Shelby and his team design.

Bale’s performance perfectly meshes with the description of Miles. Behind the wheel, he talks to his vehicle on the track. He is contemptuous of those in the executive suites, defiant and prone to outbursts when his suggestions are either ignored or overridden.

Yet, Miles, a loving husband and father, remains steadfast to what he and Shelby are trying to accomplish.

Two other performances are noteworthy — but for different reasons. Tracy Letts is an imperious Henry Ford II. He walks around his corporation as if he were a king and those around him were courtiers or serfs. He barks decrees rather than speaks.

A hard glance from the Deuce easily cowers to whomever he is talking — except, perhaps, for Shelby, who plans on winning over Ford by taking him for a test run in one of the designer’s racing vehicles. The experience so exhilarates and overwhelms Ford that he begins to weep.

Every movie needs a villain — or at least a protagonist — and that role falls to Lucas’ Beebe. He is a pencil-pusher, a bean-counter who only sees racing as a way to boost the Ford name and increase profits. He does not have a drop of competition in his being. He is a corporate drone.

Lucas’ portrayal is very one-dimensional. Lucas is a fine actor, so I am suspecting that Mangold decided to limit his characterization.

The racing sequences are magnificent. The sound and editing bring you into the driver’s seat. The film definitely is superior when seen on an IMAX screen.

But even at a non-IMAX viewing, “Ford v Ferrari’ is impressive. It’s a movie not so much about the outcome, but about the journey. And it celebrates two men who overcame many roadblocks in their determination to succeed.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

FORD V. FERRARI
3½ stars out of 4
(PG-13), language, racing danger