Ephemeris of the Mind (Film Review) Ford v Ferrari
Time to read: 2 min read
Movie Poster
There's a point at 7,000 RPM... where everything fades. The machine becomes weightless. Just disappears. And all that's left is a body moving through space and time. 7,000 RPM. That's where you meet it. You feel it coming. It creeps up on you, close in your ear. Asks you a question. The only question that matters. Who are you?
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Review
The film tells the story of the golden era of American automobiles during the 1960s, when Ford Motor Company decided to establish a racing division to challenge Ferrari's dominance. The story centers around Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), former racecar driver turned car designer, and Ken Miles (Christian Bale), racecar driver and engineer. Shelby has been assigned the task of designing a racecar to beat Ferrari while Miles has to drive the car and win. The film portrays the development of the Ford GT40, one of the most iconic cars ever made.
The story follows the classic underdog sports story arc, where a group of outsiders are asked to overcome a seemingly impossible obstacle. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Damon’s hotheaded Shelby and Bale’s quirky Miles. The supporting cast, which includes Miles’ wife Mollie (Caitríona Balfe) and Miles’ son Peter (Noah Jupe), also add emotional depth to the story. Overall, this film is a dream come true for fans of automobile history, as the film portrays many iconic characters, such as Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone), Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts), and Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal). Cameo characters include big automobile design names such as Phil Remington (Ray McKinnon) and Roy Lunn (JJ Feild), as well as racing legends such as Chris Amon (Brent Pontin), Dan Gurney (Alex Gurney), and Bruce McLaren (Benjamin Rigby). The film also portrays how not to run a business, such as the extreme levels of bureaucracy within Ford Motor Company, which fostered selfishly driven individuals such as Josh Lucas’ very detestable Leo Beebe.
Conclusion
An iconic racing story.