“We’re lighter, we’re faster, and if that don’t work, we’re nastier.”
— Carroll Shelby, “Ford v Ferrari"
James Mangold’s “Ford v Ferrari” shares a certain kinship with another 2019 film focusing on the 1960s, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
In both movies, the story’s core focuses on a pair of friends/colleagues who are working to stay relevant and achieve glory in their respective industries.
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” looks at an aging actor and his stuntman pal who seem somewhat listless in a 1969 show business world that has largely moved on from the clear-cut heroes and motifs that guided 1950s and early 60s cinema.
“Ford v Ferrari” tells the story of former race car driver Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and unorthodox race car driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) as they work to help Ford Motor Company boost car sales (in the face of aspirational brands like Ferrari) by winning the 1964 Le Mans (a 24-hour race in Le Mans, France).
In each case, the movies are a throwback to another era — using star power to drive character and narrative.
These days, Hollywood is less focused on star power (minus a few exceptions like Dwayne Johnson) and seems more interested in building “actor agnostic" brands — or leaning on established brands — to achieve glory at the box office.
The Marvel and “Star Wars” franchises both come to mind as examples — movie series that use event/spectacle to drive fans to theaters. The fact that you can “reboot” a comic book mythology like Spider-Man with different actors — and achieve financial glory in each case — illustrates the point.
As a result, it is nice to see a film like “Ford v Ferrari” that is driven by a pair of this generation’s finest actors.
The film focuses on Ford Motor Company’s struggles to stay relevant in an increasingly competitive car market. Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) challenges his team to come up with a plan to enhance the company’s profile among other domestic car manufacturers.
Ford VP Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) has the idea to purchase cash-strapped Ferrari — hoping the co-branded fusion of the two companies will increase Ford’s fortunes. Unfortunately, Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone) uses Ford’s overtures as a way to secure a more lucrative deal from Fiat.
Carroll Shelby is the owner of Shelby American, a California-based company that focused on making performance cars (including the popular Shelby Mustang and AC Cobra). Shelby won the 24-hour Le Mans race in 1959, but has since given up racing due to a heart condition.
As a side note, my brother Jay owned a Dodge Omni GLHS in the late 1980s (the car itself looked like a Volkswagen Rabbit) and it was made in the Shelby plant. For looking rather unassuming, the car’s turbo engine provided a lot of horsepower.
After being spurned by Ferrari, Henry Ford II (referred to as “The Deuce” in the film) is ticked off. Iacocca’s “Plan B” is to approach Shelby and have him build a race car that can defeat Ferrari at Le Mans — and he only has 90 days to do it.
Shelby employs Brit racer Ken Miles to help him test the Ford GT40 Mk 1 prototype. Miles is a down-on-his-luck auto mechanic — with a supportive wife (Caitriona Balfe) and son (Noah Jupe) — who needs the work.
Miles is also a driver not favored by Ford’s director of special vehicles/PR specialist Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas).
The tension between Beebe and Miles is used to stoke the flames of conflict in the “Ford v Ferrari” narrative — sometimes a tad bit too conveniently.
In true sports movie fashion, “Ford v Ferrari" features a number of scenes where Shelby has to go to bat for the controversial driver.
While Shelby defends Miles, his niche auto business is also dealing with the sobering realities of working with a large, multi-level corporation.
Regardless of the number of “underdog tropes” used, there is something inherently compelling about the story.
This is where “star power” comes into play.
It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about the dynamic between Shelby and Miles, the relationship Miles has with his wife and son, or the boardroom politics at Ford, the “star-driven” prowess of the film is what makes it move.
Damon and Bale are a likable pair on screen. While neither performance pushes the boundaries of subtlety and nuance, their gravitas harkens back to the days when actors like John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, and Gregory Peck graced the silver screen.
As I watched Bale in “Ford v Ferrari,” I was reminded how he’d been rumored for the part of the title character in 2015’s “Steve Jobs.” I would have loved to see him portray the former Apple CEO in the Aaron Sorkin-penned biopic.
Credit needs to be given to director James Mangold — one of cinema’s underrated directors.
Mangold is the man behind the standalone “Wolverine” movies (including 2017’s brilliant “Logan”). He wrote/directed one of my favorite romantic comedies “Kate & Leopold” (2001). He also did reshoots (and post-production work) for “The Greatest Showman.”
In the commentary track for “Logan,” Mangold mentions how complicated plots are in film today. He tried to whittle the story to a minimum in “Logan,” and instead focus on character.
That’s a trait on display in “Ford v Ferrari.”
It circles back to what I was referring to at the beginning of this review as it regards “Ford v Ferrari” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
Sometimes movie-goers need productions that are a throwback to a bygone era — films that present simple stories, told in expert fashion, with big star power...
The types of films that eschew computer-generated effects in favor of practical effects and allow viewers to willfully suspend their disbelief (there are some terrific racing sequences in “Ford v Ferrari” that feel authentic and natural).
It’s a quality that is being drowned out in the modern cinema of our day.
I’m hopeful the success of “Ford v Ferrari” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” will send a message to studios that audiences will consume popcorn movies featuring less bombast that focus on simple pleasures.
No comments:
Post a Comment