Le Mans '66

5th best movie may be an exaggeration, but the best movie about racing it is without a doubt. James Mangold emerges as a guarantee of great quality, serving up a nerve-wracking tale of the most challenging Le Mans race, with both Christian Bale and Matt Damon excelling. At first I struggled to fully immerse myself in the film, but once the car testing began and the actual half hour race itself, packed with complications and suspense, it was a blast. I probably don't need to see it again, but I enjoyed it. 8/10 (03/12/2019)

Mangold, as always, follows the path of least resistance. This gasoline-soaked bromance thus favors cliche and simple shortcuts over complexity. Sometimes, Mangold's routine is funny (the way he helps himself by creating a disgusting villain, a B-movie caricature of a Ferrari driver), sometimes it’s a little irritating (will the directors really keep only giving Bernthal roles to play in a coma?), but mostly it’s just straightforward fun. The racing sequences are shot with confidence and with the pedal to the floor. Bale and Damon talk about electric innovations, and the former can conjure more intensity with his expression behind the wheel than the spectacular somersaults of racing cars at the curb of a country road in Le Mans. This film praises honest garage guys who face the dementia of people in suits with their hearts and over sensitivity. Just like Rush, it’s impossible not to like it. At the same time, however, one cannot get rid of the feeling that the best story in the history of motorsport has more horses under the hood than Mangold was able to take advantage of. He is simply such a reliable Ford van with a stable, bubbling diesel engine. Not a passionate twelve-cylinder. (16/11/2019)

The trailers promised a masculine and dense drama that would be both old-school atmospheric and modern at the same time. And that's what we got in the cinemas. Ford v Ferrari may be nearly two and a half hours long, but it paces incredibly well, and the final race is one of the most gripping scenes of the year – though the tinkering with the car in the workshop, the vigorous exchanges between the protagonists and the Ford executives, and the wild testing of what the car and its driver are no less entertaining. James Mangold's film has great heroes whose camaraderie (peppered with the occasional fight between them) you believe in, Christian Bale and Matt Damon are both excellent, and the duel with their Italian adversaries, which lasts perhaps thirty minutes, is literally packed with twists and turns and thrilling moments. Whether it's Bale hurtling down the track at 250 km/h or Damon figuring out how to carve out a few extra seconds in the pits. Aside from a few details, like the overly one-dimensional antagonists, I don't really know much to fault Ford v Ferrari for. Extremely honest filmmaking and one of the contenders for film of the year. (07/11/2019)

A spectacle as intoxicating as the speed of a race car, perfectly filmed, with amazing sound... It's movies like this, that take me "right there" for a few hours, that make me love cinema the most. In fact, I knew almost nothing about the story of this famous race, and thanks to that it never ceased to surprise me from the beginning to the very end, entertaining me with its speed, insight, and relaxed atmosphere, and constantly seeming to say "It's not over yet, wait for the finale." I waited, and I have to say that this is to Le Mans '66 what a Live Aid concertis to, say, Bohemian Rhapsody – a huge spectacle, enthusiastic and enthralling. Christian Bale is an absolute standout (I realized I last saw him in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises and that's quite a shame) and he's as good with Matt Damon as, say, Robert Redford was back in the day with Paul Newman. James Mangold's direction is precise and the idea of the film is beautiful. I hope there's a book about Ken Miles now. (16/11/2019)

A more sweeping, layered and playful ride than the slightly older Rush, which by the way was much more focused and coherent than this racing part comedy, part drama. In terms of the acting, it's similarly strong, I'd even say Damon delivers one of his best performances, but at times it’s not as hard-hitting and nuanced as Ron Howard's masterpiece. Mangold loses at the finish line, but he’s racing in a slightly different category. The link remains primarily the smell of gasoline. (27/11/2019)