Le Mans '66/Ford v Ferrari

Similar to that of a race, Le Mans '66 starts off slow, pacing itself well with a singular goal in mind; all while giving us some beautiful chemistry between Damon and Bale before crossing the finish line.

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Following the real rivalry between Henry Ford II and Enzo Ferrari in the 60's, Le Mans' 66 (or Ford v Ferrari) gives us a beautifully shot drama sprinkled with comedy, usually stemming from the flourishing friendship between Carol Shelby (Matt Damon) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale). Director James Mangold, does take creative liberties here and there to push the story down an easily digestible path, yet never strays too far from reality, allowing for both racing fanatics and average viewers to enjoy the film alike.

Although the film, as the title suggests, revolves around the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans and the rivalry between the two titular companies, it prefers to show us the more human story between Shelby and Miles. Opening on some backstory about Shelby, the film starts on a slow note and takes its time as we get to learn about the various history and relationships that are important to our two protagonists. This sort of layout has become common place in most biopics as each story tries to make the audience feel empathetic for the on-screen hero, our pathos elevated with the knowledge that these events are somewhat real; but Le Mans' 66 falls a bit short in its opening hour.

Beautiful shots, good actors, and a sweet soundtrack help push the film along its expositional beginning as the script tries to create a few trivial story lines which are then barely mentioned throughout the rest of the 2 and a half hour story; like the relationship between Miles and his wife, Mollie (Caitriona Balfe). On the other hand, one side plot which shines like a diamond in the rough is that of Miles and his son, Peter (Noah Jupe); each moment they share strengthening their bond and our compassion for the boy who can't help but adore his father. The script may not handle most of the plots well as it focuses on the main storyline, but the cast don't seem to let that get in the way of their performances; whether it's Shelby's witty right-hand man (Ray McKinnon) or the loveable exec that believes in Shelby and Miles (Jon Bernthal).

Once all the window dressing has been set up, Mangold moves on ahead to what most of the viewers had been waiting for: racing. During the start of the film we do catch glimpses of Ken Miles' skills behind the wheel, but this truly comes to life in the latter stages of the film. Not only does Bale do an excellent job at drawing us into the scene, but everything comes to life the moment we land on the race track. Once there, the film doesn't take its foot of the pedal and races through each scene, turning the mediocrity from the start into a speck in the rear-view mirror.

Mangold does an excellent job at portraying the gruelling 24 Hour of Le Mans. The race lasts for a large chunk of the film and never feels like it is being dragged out, only like we are a part of the experience and not just watching a cool montage after-the-fact. With that said, many racing film tropes are used throughout these action sequences, such as flooring it in the middle of a straight or looking over at an enemy driver, but these don't detract from the aesthetic of the film as much as you would think, instead turning it into more of a popcorn flick than a serious biopic.

The film ends, as all other biographical pictures do, with white text on the screen as we are shown photos of the true events. Cheesy? yes, but it certainly does close the film off nice and neatly, letting the viewer go home with a satisfied mind instead of having to make a couple of Google searches to satisfy their curiosity. With its slow beginning and fast-paced finish, Le Mans '66 will certainly be remembered as one of the better motorsport films out there.