Ford v Ferrari: Start Your Engines

I saw Ford v Ferrari with two friends who both complained it was too long. I, on the other hand, wasn’t bored for a second. Maybe it’s because I grew up on interminable Bollywood films, or maybe it’s because I really needed a movie that scratched the itch left from my days watching Top Gear, but you can firmly put me down as a fan of this fabulous movie.

Based on a true story, the film follows car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and his racing driver partner Ken Miles (Christian Bale). In 1963, they were tasked by Henry Ford II (the original Ford’s grandson) to design a race car that would beat Enzo Ferrari’s entry at the grueling 24-hour Le Mans race in France. Shelby was the only American driver to have won that race (in 1959), but having stepped down from racing due to a heart condition, Miles was his choice as the only man who could replicate his success. The two men had a deep love and understanding for cars and racing and the movie glories in the details of how they go about taking a Ford, known for being ugly but dependable, and turning it into something that could beat the sleek handmade Ferraris that had won Le Mans for five years in a row.

There is a great deal of friction caused by corporate bureaucracy, with the two pioneers butting heads with Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas, who plays the greatest asshole you’ve ever seen), a Ford vice president who is in charge of the racing division but cares more about marketing than cars. While they have the support of Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal), there are plenty of machinations required to placate Beebe and Ford and those continue to dog them until their final victory lap. This is also a story about the great friendship between Shelby and Miles, a Texan and a Brit who completely understood each other and had each others' backs during a stressful but exhilarating period in their lives. It's a bromance for the ages. And let's be real, these men are pretty easy on the eyes too.

Ford v Ferrari is a self-assured and sizzling movie. The racing scenes have you on the edge of your seat, and off the racetrack, the interpersonal dynamics and marvelous performances from Bale and Damon will keep you chuckling and rooting for our heroes till the bitter end. It’s a great story to tell, with a cast that is more than well-equipped to tell it, and in the hands of director James Mangold, it leaps off the screen and stays compelling for two and a half hours. Do you like racing? Do you like snappy dialogue? Do you like a tale of underdogs trying to stick it to the man? Then what more do you need - watch this movie!