24hrs Of Thunder.
152 Mins. Starring: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Caitriona Balfe, Tracy Letts, Josh Lucas, Noah Jupe, Remo Girone, Ray McKinnon & Jon Bernthal. Director: James Mangold.
Ignition roaring on screen as the engined score guns and thumps your chest like a transistor radio, Batman and Bourne were born to run like The Boss on a hog. But this four wheel drive 'Ford v Ferrari' (named after the 'Le Mans '66' race in some European territories. Sorry if the review is late. We're in Japan right now were the movie from the man who took Logan's run to Tokyo has just been green light released in our new automotive tyre home of Yokohama) pits Bruce Wayne vs Jason Bourne against the Italian Stallion...no not Balboa Rocky, but Ferrari. As on the Detroit piston assembly line down 8 Mile road of the all-American Ford, this is Motor City versus Napoli in a winner takes all cars circuit to the checkered flag with a Hemsworth rush of petroleum to the head. 'Cop Land', 'The Wolverine', 'Logan' and Johnny Cash 'Walk The Line' director James Mangold (who is about to try and best Cate Blanchett's 'I'm Not There' uncanny Bob Dylan with new DiCaprio, young 'King' Timothée Chalamet singing for his Oscar) drives the line, reuniting with '3:10 To Yuma's' Christian Bale who 'The Fighter' to 'American Hustle' and the Dick Cheney 'Vice' to this thin wrench grip switches the weight classes again like a performing pugilist. In a figurative and literal accented performance (at one "if this was a beauty pageant...we just lost this top gear even sounds like Jeremy Clarkson) alongside this movies Mark Wahlberg in Boston born and most marketable Matt Damon, tinkering at even more under the hood of his formidable filmography. As these two Hollywood heavyweights go toe-to-toe and wheel-to-wheel, burning rubber in the race of their life. Even duking it out in oil and grease on the front lawn as you pop open a lawn chair and bottle of soda, as this one fizzes and whiz bangs like an old engine of a tried and tested motor that keeps going on like those legendary Le Mans tracks you run to your ride for. Gentlemen...start your engines.
Pole position in the 'Best Picture' Oscar race for The Academy. Mangold's mesmerising motorsports movie is bumper to bumper with some champagne crowning candidates. Leading the pack is of course Joaquin Phoenix's 'Joker' directed by 'The Hangover' of Todd Phillips, that features homages to both Scorsese's 'Taxi Driver' and 'The King Of Comedy'...AND has De Niro in it. Whilst Martin Scorsese himself reunites with a Robert De Niro and Al Pacino gangster reunion of 'The Irishman' with Joe Pesci for this Netflix mob hit looking to become a smart screen classic like 'Roma'. As Netflix's only competition seems to be itself as the divorce of Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson's 'Marriage Story' is the best breakout break-up movie we've seen since Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep's 'Kramer vs Kramer'. Whilst 'Best Actress' nomination Scarlett has a history following supportive one too for her terrific turn in Taika Waititi's best yet, 'Jojo Rabbit'. A Springtime Mel Brooks for Hitler that is like Monty Python walking funny on to the set of a Wes Anderson picture that breaks your heart too. But in the year of fighting like a girl the wonder women of 'Lady Bird' director Greta Gerwig's redefining 'Little Women' could be the epic ensemble for your next Oscar selfie. That is unless the one shot of Sam Mendes War epic '1917' takes them all. Or if Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon A Time In...Hollywood' with these industry heartthrob heavyweights Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt (where's the 'Ad Astra' dual nomination like Johansson?) really has a happy, La La Land (without the envelope) tinseltown ending. Whilst the wild, wild card of South Korean Bong Joon Ho's 'Parasite' could infect them all as this for sure 'Best Foreign Film' could do the history making double. Even if I was a betting man with a starters pistol to the head I couldn't pick a horse in this race. I could maybe guess a '1917', 'The Irishman' and the 'Joker' movie podium. But photo finish I can't tell you who will win by a hair or head. 'Ford v Ferrari' versus its 'Le Mans '66' looks like it might get lapped by these big star vehicles like a cat with all the cream. But clawing away in the pits it's still a moving movie that puts you more than just in the clichéd drivers seat and buckles you in, as the scores car stereo volume is pedal to the metal in the same lane. The cars chasing each other for the cup cuts are so rubber to the tarmac immersive and close to the bone and chassis you feel like you are being taken round the track for a spin by a stunt driver yourself ("ATTABOY!" What a stellar scene from the surprise 'Interstellar' and 'Martian' actor). This makes me think of my car loving pops who only wishes I get my damn license already. And I finally get it. Because I'm in love with the gear shifts and the clutch control too. It's time I took the test. Because this one aces them all. Putting the va, va voom back in racing movies as it leaves all the others in the rearviews dust.
Man is as much a moving part in this machine however as Damon and Bale's of thunder on the grid give some of their personal best yet. Stetson sporting and veteran reliable as ever, Matt Damon is a fuel injected measure of calm and catalyst as a retired driver trying to take the edge off those saying he's lost his by winning another way. And you've got to love the Boston boy with a Texan twang. But it's Christian who is the most spirited here, even with 'Machinist' hunger in the pains of his acting literal, bodily slights. He could use more than a "CUP OF TEA", but as he shouts, "THAT WILL DO LOVELY" and the like as he drives, that really will pig for his most fun character yet. If only the late, great Ken Miles could see it himself. As you're right there shotgun with him and his blunderbuss behaviour that more than wrenches you, as the suits add a spanner in the works too. Those blazers, shirts and tie with the cufflinks to match belong to son of Henry Ford character Tracy Letts. The Tony and Pulitzer prize winning actor of 'Lady Bird' and 'The Post' (what a year) playing fat cat to a tie-pin tee until an infamous drive 'round the block knocks the litter out of him. There's still plenty of starch is the suit of 'Glory Road' Basketball coach and 'Lincoln Lawyer' shark Josh Lucas so sick at trying to be can of oil slick. The real fuelled injection comes from a scene stealing Jon Bernthal though, as 'The Punisher' gets charismatic in his Dapper Dan don suited and booted luck for the 'Baby Driver' cameo character that made 'Widows'. But even with best in show performances from 'Live By Night' and 'Killing Eve' actor Remo Girone and 'Driving Miss Daisy' and 'The Blind Side' coach character one Ray McKinnon, like the real Ford this is all about family. Just like the real heart of matters in the seat of this human look at those under the helmet. No matter how foggy and old the atmospheric misty rain streaked scenes on the tracks get, you see so much more behind the goggles. Like 'Now You See Me', 'Money Monster' and 'Outlander's' outstanding Caitriona Balfe bringing everything to this movie and what that relationship births with the chemistry of Bale's father and son one with 'Suburbicon' (but this time not Damon's kid), 'A Quiet Place' (and 'II') and 'Honey Boy' rising child star of the moment Noah Jupe. One magnificent moment bonded to the hairpin of a turn in the tarmac on a quiet deserted night will track your tears and remind you of your eldest or youngest, depending on how long you've been in this race. Lighter, faster and nastier this mustang versus the prancing horse is for all the power. It's signaling scenes like this that maneuver 'Le Mans '66' into one of the 'Best Picture's' of the year, as in 'Ford v Ferrari', we're all winners. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Le Mans '66', 'Rush', 'Days Of Thunder'.
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