Ford v. Ferrari Review: Sandy Kenyon says film captures excitement of auto racing
Half a century ago, Ford, an American corporation, wanted to buy the iconic Italian company Ferrari -- but founder Enzo Ferrari refused, and that set up a grudge match in France at Le Mans in an era when Ferrari dominated the famous endurance race.
The firm's car won Le Mans for five years in a row.
To beat Ferrari, Ford executive Lee Iacocca recruited a Texan named Carroll Shelby, played by Matt Damon, and he turns to his pal, Ken Miles, played by Christian Bale.
The seemingly impossible task is made more difficult by the culture clash between these mavericks and the middle-of-the-road, corporate executives. It's a conflict resolved by the grandson of the company's founder, who is played by Tracy Letts.
"Ford v. Ferrari" ranks as one of the very few movies ever to capture the excitement of auto racing, to explain why it gets my pulse racing and heart soaring.
But this movie is not just for gearheads like me because it touches on universal themes like the need for strong individuals in a society dominated by large corporations. The picture broadens out even further to be about the pursuit of perfection and the cost of that quest.
"Ford v. Ferrari" is the first movie in a long time I can recommend without reservation. It puts car guys like me into the driver's seat with legends. For everyone else, it's a chance to see two of the biggest stars and finest movie actors of their generation play opposite each other. Their scenes together are as exciting as any of the action scenes. I loved this movie!
It's distributed by Disney, owned by the same parent company as ABC 7.
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