Ford V Ferrari

Sports movies have always been a goldmine for thrilling stories with compelling drama, especially if they're biopics. It seems like no matter what real life story in what sport is being depicted, the inherit drama that comes from competition and pushing yourself to the limit is almost always enough to win audiences over. The challenge though is making the story being told feel unique while also giving audiences what they expect. One movie that does this better than most recent sports flicks is Ford v Ferrari.

It's 1966 and The Ford Motor Company is struggling to stay relevant in Ferrari's shadow. Their ulimate solution is to recruit Carroll Shelby to design a new model, the Ford GT40, and have hot-headed driver from the UK, Ken Miles, take it for a spin at the 24 Hours of the Le Mans race against Ferrari's newest and fastest cars. With the clock ticking and all corporate eyes on them, Shelby and Miles have to give it their all as they try to reinvent the wheel of the entire racing game.

What makes Ford v Ferrari such a unique David and Goliath sports movie is that while Shelby and Miles are the underdogs as one would expect in this story, the true threat isn't the company they're competing against, but the one they're competing for. It's Ford whose insistence on an old-fashioned self-image that is a danger to their ambition and strive for innovation. It truly is one of those rare sports movies where the parts in the stuffy corporate offices are just as thrilling as the practice and big race scenes, and that's saying something because the racing bits really are a sight to behold thanks to James Mangold's direction. Even if you're not interested in NASCAR, they're filmed in such a visceral light that they really do put you on the edge of your seat.

But all the bickering and racing wouldn't mean anything if we didn't care about the characters doing said bickering and racing, and fortunately we understand precisely what this race means to everyone involved, both themselves, and those around them. Behind all the ambition is just two guys who like the thrill of a race. Shelby and Miles have their disagreements, particularly in one of the most entertaining scenes in the whole film, but their understanding of what the other wants is always obvious.

As far as acting is concerned, Matt Damon holds his own as Shelby, a man trying to find purpose in his life when his heart condition takes him away from behind the wheel, but Christian Bale absolutely steals the show as Miles, proof that he always has been one of the most compelling actors of this age. His bluntness is hilarious and his passion is obvious, but the love he shows for his wife and his son who looks up to him is what really makes him shine. He also sells how much he's willing to set his ego aside in some scenes for the sake of Ford as a whole. Also, the fact that Bale plays such a skinny character afting gaining so much weight for his role as Dick Cheney shows how versatile he is, and what extremes he's willing to put his body through.

Ford v Ferrari is a rollicking good time at the movies, the best racing flick since Ron Howard's Rush back in 2013. It's a nail-biting, stand-up-and-cheer story told with solid performances and incredible direction. A classic American story that manages to be amazingly entertaining in its own way. Be sure to bring your dad.