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Post by Pavan on Nov 15, 2019 10:07:19 GMT
Had a bit of a rough and uneven start and goes by the numbers for a while. You know..Damon's gum chewing, Bale's smug face, corporate execs, car jargon etc., It's that kind of film we don't see anymore but it follows the same beats that were written in the textbook and Mangold kept it that way but that isn't to say it lacks depth though.
That said once Bale gets into the driver's seat it's one hell of a ride. Has a couple of terrific race sequences but the film delves more into the men behind the wheel and their bosses than racing itself. Damon is the face of the film while Bale is the heart. They have equal run time but the film makes you think Bale has more part. He has the more interesting role out of the two. He delivered an excellent performance minus that smug face that annoyed me a bit. Once again i want to say that Bale is a great actor in quieter moments than in the louder ones which he is famous for. He was best when he was alone in the car. He perfectly portrayed the number of emotions a driver feels behind the wheel (minus the "H-A-P-P-Y", that was over the top). Perhaps the best race car driver performance I've seen.
Damon fought the corporate battle. Kind of an artist who has to put with the corporate execs. That he portrayed pretty well. He brought that movie star persona when he was delivering speeches. Jon Bernthal was Jon Bernthal, he looked like he had more to play but he disappears somehow. Josh Lucas and Tracy Letts got more of a cartoon-ish roles and this is where the movie falls apart though Letts brought out fun from what he was given. He was surprisingly good. On the other side i wanted to punch Lucas on his face all the time. Caitriona Balfe and Noah Jupe were limited but all their scenes with Bale brought the necessary emotional weight to the film.
Metaphorically speaking one can correlate this film to film making itself. Like how corporate execs screw artists and have their final say. May be Mangold did put some of himself into Carroll Shelby?!
Visually the film's neatly shot but it's the roaring sound design that gets most applause. Kind of an eargasm for car enthusiasts. Editing is pretty smooth and tight too even if the movie clocks in at 150 min. Marco Beltrami's score shines in the quieter moments but couldn't keep up with racing scenes- 7.5/10
Possible noms:
Best Picture
Best Actor, Christian Bale
Best Supporting Actor, Tracy Letts
Best Film Editing
Best Production Design
Best Sound Mixing
Best Sound Editing
P.S.: These are rough predictions and the film could miss some of these categories in a tighter race. Editing and Sound are well locked, IMO.
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Post by Viced on Nov 15, 2019 23:40:29 GMT
Hell yeah... the only flaw of the movie is that he never got his teeth knocked out. But man, Josh Lucas is great at playing assholes. Outside of that, kind of loved it. Maybe a clunky moment or two in between the racing, but for the most part I was totally into it. Well shot, exceptional editing (it both flew by and had a few noticeably great cuts), and the sound is undeniably incredible. And all of the racing scenes were pretty damn thrilling and actually kinda visceral. And goddammit I teared up at the end... and I'm not gonna lie, I even teared up when Miles won Daytona.  Damon was very good, Bale was pretty fucking great. I was predicting him before I saw it, now I'm somewhat confident it'll happen. Would definitely be his most... natural nominated performance yet. 8/10... the snobs will probably be meh on it though. |
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Post by jakesully on Nov 16, 2019 3:19:31 GMT
I fucking loved this! Definitely a great crowd pleaser type of film that had my attention from start to finish( kudos to Mangold on directing a tightly edited/thrilling film). Bale is so fucking good in this as well.
Easily going into my Top 10 of 2019 by years' end. Also, you don't even need to know anything about cars or racing to enjoy this one. Its surprisingly really funny through out and heartfelt. I highly recommend seeing this in theaters.
9/10
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Post by Billy_Costigan on Nov 16, 2019 5:29:09 GMT
This was right up my alley. They need to make more movies like this. Bale is fantastic in a way that feels different than anything he's done in years. Best Actor is stacked but it seems like he always finds a way in. Damon is great too.
#4 of the year
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Post by theycallmemrfish on Nov 16, 2019 5:32:19 GMT
I know they're going to be very different, but as a HUGE fan of Rush... how does this compare in terms of quality?
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Post by Pavan on Nov 16, 2019 6:28:45 GMT
I know they're going to be very different, but as a HUGE fan of Rush... how does this compare in terms of quality? I'm a huge fan of Rush too. I'll give that one an edge over this mostly because Rush was a pleasant surprise and Hans Zimmer's score. Whereas i expected Ford v. Ferrari to be good and it didn't disappoint and it comfortably beats Rush in performances and techs. |
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Post by pacinoyes on Nov 16, 2019 18:02:58 GMT
Not my kind of thing but it's certainly well made and well-paced. The script is part witty/part formula and you can tell all the best lines where it is witty are from Jez Butterworth (3 screenwriters including his brother).
This is (I think?) the 3rd really special Bale performance in a row after his restrained turn in Hostiles (which everyone just takes for granted) and Vice and here he is quite funny, winningly difficult, and quite likable too........his voice/accent/speech pattern sounds amazingly just like a less regal Jeremy Irons.
7/10
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Post by The_Cake_of_Roth on Nov 16, 2019 23:32:09 GMT
My dad who never goes to the movies went to see this on opening night lmao. I'll probably catch this next weekend because I gotta see The Irishman first!
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Post by Ryan_MYeah on Nov 17, 2019 2:43:25 GMT
I like to pretend that it ended five minutes earlier, but it’s still great stuff. And the races are among the best action scenes of the year.
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Post by Pavan on Nov 17, 2019 13:57:58 GMT
Seen it twice already and it's even better in second viewing. I didn't mention in it my first post but this is Bale's most endearing performance in years.
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Post by countjohn on Nov 18, 2019 1:16:29 GMT
Bale and Damon are both very good and I wouldn't mind either of them slipping into the 5 spot in the best actor lineup. There are some pacing issues, could have trimmed 15-20 minutes, but the race scenes are thrilling. It's interesting thematically too. It really deals with the issue of wanting to be the best vs wanting to sell cars or anything else, which is being oft discussed today with he ongoing debate on blockbusters. Ferrari gets cast as the villain for much of the movie because he's arrogant, but really he's more like Bale and Damon than the Ford guys. He tips is hat to Bale at the end and ignores the other drivers because he knows he's the best. He could not have approved of Ford's marketing stunt. Ultimately Bale and Damon didn't care that they got ripped off because they knew they were the best whereas Ford just wanted to have a photo op and sell cars. As thrilling as the race scenes are the tension in the movie is about wanting to win on your own terms vs wanting to win on the public's terms. Both Bale/Damon and the Ford guys got what they wanted in the end. I know they're going to be very different, but as a HUGE fan of Rush... how does this compare in terms of quality? It's pretty close. I think Rush is a better script and has more of an emotional punch, this is more thrilling, better directed, and has a bit more to "say" so to speak which is what I discussed in spoiler tags. Don't know which I think is better at the moment but I would be more inclined to take Ford v Ferrari on a gut level. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2019 19:09:41 GMT
As was his habit. At least this time he was not following it by an unbearable Batman voice.
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Post by JangoB on Nov 18, 2019 22:50:50 GMT
When they're on, dad movies fucking rock. This was a terrific piece of mainstream cinema which really reminded me of the so-called mid-budget flicks which were very successful in the 90s. And I'm incredibly happy that it's getting such a strong audience reception too, as well as making good money even if its budget isn't really in the 'mid' category. But the money is really up there on the screen - the racing sequences are truly spectacular and gripping. As banal as it may sound, the film does genuinely work as if it has a perfect engine powering it with even the smallest scene surving a purpose and fitting the overall piece like a tiny but necessary screw would fit a car. The character interactions felt just as entertaining as the wonderful pulse-pumping racing stuff and that's both due to a pretty compelling script and the sleek performances with Bale being the standout. This is a perfect audience picture and even though it may not try to elevate itself above the traditions of such type of cinema, it's a really powerful example of how to do it right.
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Post by JangoB on Nov 19, 2019 12:07:56 GMT
Oh, and of course the sound design is off the charts! The roaring of the engines vibrates right through you, pumping you up, helping you digest your pre-movie meal and making you a better person!  |
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Post by alexanderblanchett on Nov 22, 2019 19:15:49 GMT
A very nice old fashioned type of filme - one of those big Studio movies the Studios don't do that much anymore. One that really concentrates and cares for their characters and takes time to develope them. It was both storywise and also technical wise a true winner. The Performances were great. Christian Bale was just phenomenal. Especially if you consider that just last year at the same time he was playing a totally different character in "Vice", physically and also Motivation wise. Here he gives us an ordinary man with exatraordinary abilities and quite a tough mindset. He is great and once again proves he is one of hte most verstaile actors out there. Matt Damon was also good but definitely stayed in the shadow of Bale. Also because I think the characters were much more intersted in developing Ken than Carroll. And this is one of the very few flaws of the film. Another worth-to-mention perfomance came from Tracey Letts. and on a lesser extend Jon Bernthal.
James Mangold understood perfectly to Combine strong characters in a very solid Story with many great technical aspects to make one of a Kind of Hollywood film I dearly miss. Sound and editing were pitch perfect. The final race was one of the most exciting Moments in Cinema we had this year. And in the end it even almost brought me to Tears. A true winner Picture.
Current nominations for:
Best Picture
Best Director: James Mangold
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Christian Bale
Best Original Screenplay
Best Editing*
Best Cinematography
Best Sound*
Best Sound Editing*
Best Ensemble
Rating: 9/10
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Post by Mattsby on Nov 22, 2019 21:42:57 GMT
Solid movie, 7ish/10. Nothing so great about the filmmaking - but it’s entertaining and made meaningful and hilarious too bc of the Bale performance - maybe my favorite perf from him, I’d watch it again tonight to see that perf again and all his variations of saying Bloody hell! Also the Tracy Letts car scene is one of the funniest scenes of the year - I liked all of his scenes actually. And nobody anywhere has mentioned Oscar-winner(!) Ray McKinnon in a small role but he’s an easy, wonderful, welcome presence here. Side note - my theater for whatever reason f'd up the sound, extremely bassy, some of the dialogue just sounded like heavy static, especially the Damon voiceover. I don't think it was the actual mixing.....  |
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Post by pendragon on Nov 22, 2019 22:38:57 GMT
This was...fine, I guess. It's hard to say that there's much wrong with it and it has the occasional inspired moment, but I don't see what people got so excited about. Even the racing scenes aren't any better than other racing scenes I've seen. It's all just very standard.
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avnermoriarti
Badass
Friends say I’ve changed. They’re right.
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Post by avnermoriarti on Nov 22, 2019 23:31:05 GMT
Screenplay is so by the numbers that I was about to give up after the first hour, but when Bale/Damon team up, the movie finds its rhythm, both well cast and kind of wink at their respective careers, working within the system, yet trying to always work for what they believe in ( aww, how cute, but true ).
Mangold totally delivers in the last hour making cinematic something that truly isn’t, it’s always a quick buzz every five minutes. Here is the whole experience.
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Post by doddgerhardt on Nov 27, 2019 21:14:37 GMT
The kind of smart, adult studio film they rarely make nowadays. It’s well made. Entertaining. Superbly acted. While it’s a hair too long(I would have cut out the epilogue), it moves at a good clip. I think Rush is undervalued, but when it comes to the racing, this wins hands down. The combination of camera work, editing, sound editing and sound mixing really gives it a visceral feel. You really feel you’re right there with Miles and it’s gripping.
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Post by Joaquim on Nov 29, 2019 23:14:57 GMT
Not the best movie I’ve seen this year but the most fun I’ve had at the movies in a hot minute. I almost got up and started cheering when he won Daytona.
Looking forward to Ford v. Tesla: Electric Boogaloo.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Nov 30, 2019 20:04:19 GMT
I am so, so, so, so glad I watched this in theaters. the sound is orgasmic. the racing literally had me clenching my fists and ass on the edge of my seat. First half moves a bit slow but when things pick up in the final 40-ish minutes, they pick up fast. A positively thrilling experience. 8/10
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Post by Sharbs on Dec 2, 2019 5:41:21 GMT
Has the same DNA as some of those charismatic 50's & 60's classics. Damon & Bale are a modern Newman & Redford here. Grandma Sharbs loved this "loud, exciting thrill-ride". Whenever a car crashed she did the arms thrown up and shriek "ope" (old people).
Bale was especially fantastic and havinh a jolly good time. I want more Balfe in films. I saw the first season of Outlander and thought she was stellar.
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Post by sterlingarcher86 on Dec 7, 2019 19:17:12 GMT
Maybe the greatest sunglasses movie ever made. As for racing movie... I can take it or leave it.
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Post by DeepArcher on Dec 13, 2019 22:59:21 GMT
Not bad for Boomer shit. I'll always appreciate it when a movie gets me to care about something that I otherwise couldn't give two shits about, so I'll be the first to admit that the racing sequences are surprisingly thrilling. Sure, the script feels like it was written by AWESOM-O the robot, but it's a damn impressive technical achievement if not remarkable in any other way. And I'll also admit that I teared up at parts, most notably the Daytona sequence ... that might speak more to my emotional vulnerability than anything else, but who knows! Straddles a fine line between being just an expensive Ford ad and being an indictment of their bureaucratic corporate practices; it ultimately doesn't fall entirely on either side, and is really just another corporate movie trying to deceive us into believing it's even remotely anti-capitalist, but it also doesn't even attempt to redeem Ford at the end after criticizing their over-controlling practices throughout, so I'll take what I can get. Bale is pretty good, but I thought Letts was the easy standout of the cast, and Balfe is good in the standard-issue wife role. Sort of weird how the movie kinda frames Damon as the emotional core in the introduction and then just drops his character arc entirely; Damon definitely got the short end of the stick in favor of a focus on Miles, and everything surrounding his character became laughably half-assed, but it's not like I care about Damon anyways so it's fine, I guess.
Also: not that I'm a big fan of Rush or dislike Ford v. Ferrari or anything, but this didn't hold a candle to Rush for me. It's been years since I've seen it though and I kinda doubt it would hold up, so make of that what you will!
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Post by countjohn on Dec 14, 2019 7:39:47 GMT
Not bad for Boomer shit. I'll always appreciate it when a movie gets me to care about something that I otherwise couldn't give two shits about, so I'll be the first to admit that the racing sequences are surprisingly thrilling. Sure, the script feels like it was written by AWESOM-O the robot, but it's a damn impressive technical achievement if not remarkable in any other way. And I'll also admit that I teared up at parts, most notably the Daytona sequence ... that might speak more to my emotional vulnerability than anything else, but who knows! Straddles a fine line between being just an expensive Ford ad and being an indictment of their bureaucratic corporate practices; it ultimately doesn't fall entirely on either side, and is really just another corporate movie trying to deceive us into believing it's even remotely anti-capitalist, but it also doesn't even attempt to redeem Ford at the end after criticizing their over-controlling practices throughout, so I'll take what I can get. Bale is pretty good, but I thought Letts was the easy standout of the cast, and Balfe is good in the standard-issue wife role. Sort of weird how the movie kinda frames Damon as the emotional core in the introduction and then just drops his character arc entirely; Damon definitely got the short end of the stick in favor of a focus on Miles, and everything surrounding his character became laughably half-assed, but it's not like I care about Damon anyways so it's fine, I guess. Also: not that I'm a big fan of Rush or dislike Ford v. Ferrari or anything, but this didn't hold a candle to Rush for me. It's been years since I've seen it though and I kinda doubt it would hold up, so make of that what you will! The bolded is a big deal for me too. Not a racing or Formula 1 fan at all. It's not like it's a football or baseball movie where I'd have some inherent interest. I cared because it was good. Given all that happens in the final act I really don't see how anyone could think it's a "Ford commercial". I didn't come away from the movie with a high opinion of them at all. I could see how someone could say that about this vs Rush since that has so much more emotional punch with Lauda getting burned in the face and the personal rivalry. I preferred this because I thought it was better directed, that's the kind of thing I'll be more inclined to rewatch down the line. I saw Rush once and liked it but that's good enough for me. |
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