Movie Reaction: Ford v Ferrari

Formula: The Current War + Rush

History remembers The Jazz Singer as the first talkie movie. That's not really true though. A feature film called Don Juan in 1926 actually used the same technology and came out before The Jazz Singer. If you research further, you can find other experiments with synchronized sound that left even less of a footprint. The Jazz Singer is the one history remembers though, because that's the one that had the backing of Warner Brothers - the big Hollywood studio. The old saying that history is written by the victor is only half right. History remembers those in power. Take the most famous book in history: The King James Bible. It isn't named that because King James translated the text. All he did was decree that a bunch of scholars should do it. It carries his name, not because of any skill of his, but because he provided the resources to get it done. To his credit, King James did have to order that it get made. Any monarch could've demanded the same thing. He's the one who did though. Sound-synching technology was available to any of the studios. Warner Brothers had to decide that talkies were a worthy investment. Progress tends to come from those who are willing to play within the rules of the power structure at the time, even if their ultimate goal is to tear that system down. So, that potentially means putting up with a lot of idiots who happen to be in charge at the time.

Ford v. Ferrari is a smarter title than it appears. Technically, yes, it's referring to that time in the 60s when, after a failed attempt to buy Ferrari, the Ford Motor Company decided to build a race car that could beat the invincible Ferrari in the 24-hour race at La Mans. It also refers to the battle between being the smartest versus being the richest. Ford v Ferrari is a David vs. Goliath story, except imagine if David is the king's son and we find out that Goliath became such a skilled warrior after years of training to be the best. It's the story of how Ford, one of the biggest companies in the world, decided it wanted to beat Ferrari, a company fighting bankruptcy, at a race, and Ford spent its way to victory. And there's the battle between the Ford and the Ferrari ethoses.

It's telling that the climax of the movie isn't a showdown between a Ford driver and a Ferrari driver. Instead, it's when Ford's driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) must decide whether or not he's going to follow an order from up the corporate ladder that goes against all of his beliefs in the purity of competition. Ford v Ferrari is a movie about a bunch of outsiders who somehow find themselves on the inside looking out for a change. Retired driver and team captain Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) gets a seat at the table, and tries to keep that seat while finding a way to change how Ford does things. Ford v Ferrari isn't as wholly satisfying as something like Rush, which is basically Amadeus with race cars. FvF is something different and more frustrating. I really liked the movie, although it wasn't the crowd-pleaser I expected. The temptation will be to call it a story about the evils of capitalism and how corporate bullshit crushes creativity. I think that's the wrong read. Instead, FvF goes in saying "these are the rules. How are you going to get something done?" I find that that's a more interesting story anyway. Don't complain about the challenge. Overcome it.

There are plenty of good performances in the movie. Matt Damon can play a wise ass well. Those roles get him more attention, but he's most at ease when he's the earnest, almost bland lead. That's who Carroll Shelby is. The heart of a rebel; the head of a company man. And he lets his head drive him. It makes sense that he'd latch onto a loose cannon like Ken Miles. Shelby's act of defiance is his willingness to clean up after Miles. Christian Bale's performance is much flashier. Ken Miles has a delightful cockeyed accent and gets fun outbursts. He's the opposite of Shelby in a lot of ways. In his heart, he just wants to fit in. He wants to be reliable and to provide for his family. He doesn't want to rock the boat. His problem is that he only knows how to respond to how the world should be, not how it is. Bale plays that conflict well. Caitriona Balfe does what she can to play more than the concerned wife role. When she's mad at Bale's character, it's because he isn't being honest with her, not because she disapproves of what he's doing. It's an underexplored character, but Balfe plays her well. Jon Bernthal plays Ford executive Lee Iaccoca like he thinks he's the protagonist of the movie. Because, it's possible to make a version of this movie that's about how Iaccoca brought change in the Ford Motor Company and rose in the ranks. Noah Jupe plays Bale's son, and it's a fine child performance. Not precocious, which is all I ask for. Josh Lucas ably plays Leo Beebe as the script's punching bag, serving as the antagonist whenever the story needs one. Tracy Letts plays Henry Ford II interestingly. Ford is severely entitled. He's not the leader that his father was. In fact, he's obsessed with how he matches up with and falls shorts of his father's legacy. He doesn't really do much in the movie, but he does play the most important role. Like Warner Brothers or King James, he has to say yes to the idea. And that's why, for better or worse, his name, not Shelby's or Miles', is in the title.

The movie is a hair long. It's packed with performances that fit in the world. The racing is exciting, and there's an emphasis on practical effects that I appreciated. I do wish the movie was a little more fun, because I think it wanted to be. This is the frontrunner for the "Best Dad Movie of the Year" award, and I say that as someone who's a big fan of "dad movies".

Verdict: Strongly Recommend