TIFF 2019: FORD V FERRARI: Car Racing Biopic Loses Momentum

The first film of my second day of TIFF, Ford v Ferrari was one that I was greatly looking forward to. James Mangold is a somewhat consistent director of the past couple decades; when he embraces his clear love of Westerns, such as in 3:10 to Yuma, Cop Land, and Logan, the results can be a delight. On the other hand, when he either adapts a well-known novel, such as Girl, Interrupted, or approaches a biopic such as Walk the Line, the results are decidedly more mixed.

So, with this in mind, I was curious about Ford v Ferrari, a biopic about the car racing feud between the two Motor companies in the 1960s. It’s not a story I knew much about, but with Mangold behind it, and Matt Damon and Christian Bale  in the top two roles, I was ready to take the plunge.

Buddy Movie With Cars

Ford v Ferrari begins with an exhilarating car race. Driven by Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and with voiceover by him, he describes what it feels like to be driving at such top speeds. Soon after winning his latest race, though, Shelby feels like his racing days are behind him. Later on, we witness the eccentric British Ken Miles (Christian Bale), who is not only an expert at all things car-related, but can drive them like no one else.

Soon, the central story of Ford v Ferrari is set: at a meeting at Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) gives a speech to his employees, trying to drive them to come up with new ideas for Ford. Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) has one: Ford should enter the racing scene, first creating a team of engineers and racers behind the wheel to challenge long undefeated winners Ferrari. Carroll Shelby, who now owns a body shop, is brought on board, and he brings Miles along with him.

Perhaps the most idyllic aspect of Ford v Ferrari is the buddy nature of it between Shelby and Miles, both embracingly portrayed by Damon and Bale. The two characters share an undeniable chemistry and respect for each other, especially given their love of cars and being behind the wheel. Though their conversations notably veer off into technical car mumbo jumbo, it’s not too hard to get behind their enthusiasm for the sport, and it’s clear that Damon and Bale put a lot of research into their roles in order to appear as authentic as possible.

Bale in particular is a standout here. Still somewhat fresh from playing the brash, sneering infamous Vice President Dick Cheney in last year’s Vice, here he uncannily steps into a polar opposite persona. Miles is, much like his name, a high-energy, fast-quipping, yet warmly likable person, expressing his love for cars, his devotion to his family, including his wife Mollie (Catriona Balfe) and son Peter (Noah Jupe), and his ability to win people over to his side. It is easily amongst his finest roles.

Biopic Shortcomings

One of the issues with Ford v Ferrari, which is present almost from the offset, is that it falls somewhat victim to the typical formulaic structures of most biopics. There is, for example, the one higher-up that is always trying to ruin things for those on the bottom, in this case that of Leo Beebe, played by Josh Lucas, whose entire purpose in the film is that he takes a disliking to Miles, and therefore tries to get in his way at every opportunity. It’s a framing device that seemingly attempts to create tension when the film itself is lacking, and whether or not it is true to the real life events, Beebe’s involvement always just seemed forced.

Biopics, by their very nature, have to hold somewhat close to the events that they portray. In that way, it almost would be a spoiler if you knew about what happened in advance. Yet, they don’t need to painstakingly recreate every event exactly as it happened either, and in Ford v Ferrari, it almost seemed that Mangold was restricted by this, held back by a story based on true events rather than being able to run free with his own creativity. Even when adapting a story, such as in 2017’s Logan, Mangold there showed a much fresher touch to his film and to the characters within it.

That Sound Editing, Though

Whether or not Mangold was held back by the story he was representing, it’s hard not to deny at least one aspect of Ford v Ferrari: that of not only the dynamically shot car races, but of the sound editing as well. With each turn of the track, the amped-up sounds of the car motors running is sometimes so loud, you really feel as if the cars racing are right in front of you. Not since Rush have I felt such an adrenaline rush at witnessing car races.

Rapidly-edited shots bring you along the journey, from the key turning in the ignition, to the changing of the gears, to the tight-turning corners, all the while witnessing the extreme focus of the characters driving. At some points, they almost seem to get into a state of bliss, becoming one with the machines themselves, an aspect that Damon‘s Shelby touches on throughout the film. There is a clear romanticizing of cars in Ford v Ferrari, and it should be no surprise that those passionate about cars will absolutely love it.

Conclusion: Ford v Ferrari

To conclude, Ford v Ferrari is a somewhat exciting entry in James Mangold‘s filmography. As mentioned, I prefer his more Western-themed films, and though some slight elements are present here, it is still unfortunately held back by its somewhat restricted genre. Come for the car races, and some fine performances by Matt Damon and Christian Bale, but don’t expect to take too much away from it.

Are you looking forward to Ford v Ferrari? Are you a fan of car racing movies?

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