Ford v Ferrari
Directed by James Mangold, 20th Century Fox.
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This review originally ran during the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year.
We are republishing it as the film hits theaters this weekend.
Theres no defense against Mangolds hyperkinetic style, but, fortunately, there doesnt need to be.
He doesnt misuse his head-rattling techniques.
Hes an honorable head-rattler.
The movie is an old-fashioned rouser with a lot of new-fashioned virtuosity.
It takes nearly half an hour to get the plot in fifth gear.
With a blank check, the pair get busy hammering frames and shedding scores of pounds of engine parts.
Lettss Ford is a big, capricious, over-entitled baby not unlike the one in the White House.
Mangolds other brilliant touch is to make the heroes far more than daredevil grunts.
Shelby, Miles, and Ray McKinnons Phil Remington are as versed in physics as anyStar Trekandroid.
They know the higher mathematics of torque, the long-range torsion of metal.
But we can compensate with the tech tech.
Only if we vector the tech tech tech.
Well, yeah, obviously.
These are great American archetypes extra great given that Clint Eastwood had no evident trig.
After Damon inThe Martian, all American heroes must work the problem.
Damon has lowered his pitch and sounds as swaggeringly Texan as George W. Bush attempted to, in vain.
Bale brings something physical to his driving (pun intended!)
delivery: His cheekbones lookcut, as if to give Miles an aerodynamic advantage.
Bales Miles inhabits a different plane than his capitalist masters.
That said, I loveThe Love Bug.
Lucas plays the guy whos every conscientious filmmakers nightmare.
But formulas are made to be overhauled, and this film has some fascinating upgrades.
The next step toward gender equality would be to give the wife something to do that isnt borderline psychotic.
