‘Ford V Ferrari’ Movie Review Roundup: Matt Damon & Christian Bale Race To The Finish Line

Big-time stars Matt Damon and Christian Bale take on the big screen in competitive roles, as they tell the story of the racy world inhabited by two big shot businessmen, Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari. Through action-packed scenes and crisp close ups of polished actors and wheels, the sports drama keeps its viewers’ blood pumped and hearts racing, as the extensive history behind racing is unwrapped. Caitriona Balfe, Ian Harding and Noah Jupe join the cast as well in James Mangold’s latest project.

The movie was released on November 15. Thus far, it has scored 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

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‘FORD v FERRARI’ REVIEW ROUNDUP

“Notwithstanding its catchy title, Ford v Ferrari is less about a rivalry between two giants of the automobile world than about the struggle between two seemingly marginal individualists who insist on doing things their way for the love of it. That’s the American way, at least in the movies, but this wildly entertaining film — a magnificent thrill even for those of us who know nothing and care less about car racing — sneaks in between the lines to make the case for craft.”

– Ella Taylor, NPR

 

“For all its thunderous exhaust notes—movies about car racing sound like operas scored entirely for bassos—“Ford v Ferrari” has significant things to say on worthy subjects: art v commerce, the cowboy ethic v corporate caution, and friendship v everything else, since that’s the powertrain driving the plot. At the same time, the film serves as a reminder that art and commerce aren’t always in conflict. It’s a new and emotionally complex model of an old-fashioned audience-pleaser, with wonderful performances by Christian Bale and Matt Damon and a resonant soul to go with its smarts.”

– Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal

 

“It is, all in all, a pleasant surprise. Partly because Christian Bale and Matt Damon, the lead actors, are really good, and are supported by a fine cast that includes Tracy Letts in one of the best and least-expected crying scenes of the year. And partly because the car stuff — in the garage and on the track — is crisply filmed and edited, offering a reminder that movies and automobiles have a natural affinity and a lot of shared history. From the Keystone Kops days to “The Fast and the Furious,” some of the best motion in motion pictures has come from gasoline-powered vehicles.”

– A.O. Scott, The New York Times 

 

“As usual, Damon takes the less showy part, but Ford V Ferrari gives its leads plenty to do as they feud with each other and various Ford higher-ups. This is a movie that understands the old-fashioned joy of thwarting a meddling Josh Lucas (he plays Leo Beebe, alongside Jon Bernthal as Lee Iacocca). The racing scenes are dynamically shot, as Mangold captures plenty of action through close-ups of Bale, inside those zooming cars, and Damon, watching from the sidelines, his frustration over pivoting from pro driving to engineering rarely spoken aloud but often lurking behind his eyes.”

– Jesse Hassenger, The A.V. Club

“This infectious and engrossing story of the 1966 showdown on a French racetrack between car giants Ford and Ferrari is a high-octane ride that will make you instinctively stomp on a ghostly gas pedal from your movie seat.

But you don’t need to be a motorhead to enjoy Matt Damon and Christian Bale as a pair of rebels risking it all for purity and glory. Yes, director James Mangold takes you down onto the raceway, with cameras low to the ground and care to show the crack of gear shifts and feet on pedals.”

– Associated Press, Auto Blog

 

Watch the Ford v Ferrari official trailer below: