Ford V Ferrari (AKA Le Mans '66)

(M) ★★★★

Director: James Mangold.

Cast: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Caitriona Balfe, Jon Bernthal, Tracy Letts, Josh Lucas, Noah Jupe, Remo Girone, Ray McKinnon.

The first iPod was somewhat cumbersome.

It's always impressive when a film can take subject matter you're not interested in and make a film you become engrossed in. It's the Moneyball principle - no one is interested in the mathematics of baseball team selection, yet that was an interesting film. And I personally have zero fucks to give about motorsport, but I'll be damned if Ford V Ferrari isn't a great watch.

The trick lies in mastering two of the cornerstones of screenwriting - character and drama. Give us well written characters with great obstacles and challenges to overcome, and we'll watch it and love it. It doesn't matter whether they're competitive knitters trying to make the ultimate sweater, or racing enthusiasts trying to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans road race.

Ford V Ferrari (or Le Mans '66 as it's known in some countries) nails its characters and its drama thanks to a great script courtesy of Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller. It's ably directed by the versatile Mangold, and thrives thanks to two fine performances from the evergreen Matt Damon and Christian Bale. Despite being very much about car design and the philosophy of race driving, it's a very human story that will win over even non-petrolheads like myself.

Damon plays Carroll Shelby, a former racer who turns to car construction and design after retiring. When the Ford Motor Company approaches Shelby to spearhead a campaign to defeat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans road race and help make Fords cool again, he brings in brilliant driver/mechanic Ken Miles (Bale) to his team.

Miles is an unconventional hothead, which grinds the gears of the suits at Ford. But Shelby knows Miles is the key to winning Le Mans, which sets up a battle not only between Ford and Ferrari, but also between Ford and the Shelby/Miles team.

In the water-and-oil pairing of Damon and Bale/Shelby and Miles, Ford V Ferrari has its winning combination. Damon has a good line in likeable American heroes, which is nicely matched to Bale's penchant for prickly customers. But what really shines through in the characters is a mutual respect that simmers below the dialogue. Despite the punches and thrown wrenches, Shelby and Miles come off as two men with an unspoken high regard for each other that slowly blossoms into a real friendship.

It's one of many aspects of the film that is managed beautifully by Mangold, who really is the Mr Versatile of Hollywood (just have a look at his filmography). The key relationship is the engine of the film, but its top gears lie in the exhilarating race sequences. With a combination of stunt driving and CG, Mangold gets us in, under and alongside the cars as they tackle the chicanes and hit 200 miles an hour on the straights. It's gripping stuff.

The racing and the top-billed double act are the key components, but there is a lot to like about the film. Lucas is a wonderfully hissable villain, while Letts gives good bluster as Henry Ford II. It's also very funny in places, and generates a good amount of heart, which largely comes from Miles' relationship with his son (Jupe).

The film's main mis-step comes in one strangely written scene involving an argument between Miles and his wife Mollie (Balfe). It feels utterly contrived - it makes Ken's character seem ridiculous and the whole sequence is bizarre as it somewhat undermines the otherwise beautiful relationship Ken and Mollie share. There are other occasional moments of over-explanation and cliche in an otherwise excellent script, but this scene is a big sore thumb. The only other criticism is that the film is a bit slow to get going, which counts for something when your runtime is two and a half hours, but it's certainly not a great concern as much of the film flies by.

But otherwise, Ford V Ferrari is up there with Rush in the list of finely tuned racing movies. Like Rush, it's a film that uses great turns to bring fascinating real-world characters to life, topping it off with some seat-of-your-pants racing sequences.