"Ford v Ferrari" Movie Review

Ford v Ferrari is a fantastic film. Dramatic, funny, and full of powerhouse performances, the film is one of the best bio films that is mostly true and pays tribute to Ken Miles, Carroll Shelby, and Ford Motors.

Ford v Ferrari follows the story of Carroll Shelby who is tasked with creating a Ford racecar that can beat Enzo Ferrari's cars at the Le Mans 24-hour race. Ken Miles is the brilliant driver who raced for Ford and also helped build the car.

While the film was mostly true, there were still a few liberties taken for dramatic effect. Some of these insertions help propel the film forward but there's only one liberty in particular that I have a problem with and that's the fact (spoiler alert) that there's no real proof that the VP of Ford Motors not only had a problem with Ken Miles driving but also constantly tried to get him thrown off the team. After learning this, I started to wonder why this whole plotline was even put into the film. It really makes Ford look bad. Sure, it makes the bond between Shelby and Miles look like it grew stronger through this situation but the film is called Ford v Ferrari not Shelby & Miles v Ford. Throughout the film, I wasn't drawn to either company's side. I just wanted Shelby and Miles to come out on top. That, I think, is probably the biggest injustice the film could have made. I need to want Ford to win otherwise there's not much point in caring about the quarrel in the first place.

On a brighter note, the performances were outstanding and the chemistry between Damon and Bale was electric. The casting director made the right choice with those two. In fact, I would absolutely love to see them in another film together.

I loved the personal side story that we see with Ken's home life with his wife and son. It made you really care for him and made you want to see him succeed. If his wife really was that gutsy, I'd say Ken was a lucky man to have found her.

In conclusion, despite the one glaring flaw, the film is so close to perfection and I highly recommend it for anyone that loves biographical/historical films or just loves racing in general. I give it a 3.5 out of 4.