There’s a scene halfway through Ford v Ferrari where Carrol Shelby (Matt Damon) takes Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) for a spin on the test-track in their newest GT40 prototype. It’s been a long time since Ford—derisively nicknamed “The Deuce”—spent time in the front seat, and he’s never been in a car like this. A few seconds and several thousand RPMs later, Ford is reduced to a puddle of tears and a wet seat. “I wish my Daddy could have seen this,” he chokes through terror and delight, realizing for the first time in decades that a car is not a commodity, a cup holder on wheels, but a way to scream at the heavens and declare our existence. A feat of engineering, a thing of beauty, and a work of art built by human hands worthy of those lost along the way. Ford v Ferrari may be a somewhat overlong and bulky story of the 24-hour race at Le Mans in 1966, but whenever Shelby or Ken Miles (Christian Bale) slide behind the wheel, it’s a giddy work of combustible energy.

Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Directed by James Mangold
Written by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, Jason Keller
Produced by Peter Chernin, James Mangold, Jenno Topping
Starring: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Caitríona Balfe, Josh Lucas, Noah Jupe, Tracy Letts, Remo Girone
20th Century Fox, Rated PG-13, Running time 152 minutes, Premiered Aug. 30, 2019 at the Telluride Film Festival

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The above blurb first appeared in the pages of Boulder Weekly Vol. 27, No. 20, “Ford v Ferrari.”