Le Mans 66 - Gegen jede Chance

Eine weitere ausgezeichnete Rolle für Christian Bale und wie könnte dem auch anders sein – auch bravourös gespielt! Sie und der Schauspieler selbst bilden die Hälfte der Touren dieser unterhaltsamen, entspannten und peppigen Schnellfahrt mit Kammeruntertönen. Mangold ergänzt als Regisseur jede Szene durch eine klare Richtung zur Zielgerade und im Finale serviert er gleich drei Resümees der Geschichte. Über ihre Ausgewogenheit und emotionale und gedankliche Bindung könnte man noch diskutieren, womit wir zum fatalen Handicap des Films kommen. (26.11.2019)

A beautiful guys’ story of Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby full of scenes I will probably never forget. Moreover it’s a story from automobile world so beautiful and tragic that I was surprised it wasn’t filmed earlier. After a long time, I felt like was watching something really unique. Matt Damon and Christian Bale absolutely excelled in their performances. Chris was maybe a tiny bit better, because his eccentric character Ken was entertaining due to his complex personality from beginning to the end. And when things came to a head, I had no idea what he would do. And that’s where the charm of this story lies. If you don’t know too many details, you will enjoy it. If you know the details, you will enjoy it too. The shots of beautiful cars with timeless design, absolutely faithful scenes with Henry Ford II. or Enzo Ferrari, as significant for this movie as they were at the time when they really happened, plus a ton of references to the automotive industry of the period (starting with assembly line production and ending with the shots from the Ferrari company in Modena) are the main but not only reasons to award this movie with the full number of stars. This is the kind of movie that will make filmmaking history. And it also portrays a beautifully conveyed true male friendship that knows no boundaries and in this case will live forever. (06.11.2019)

The trailers promised a masculine and dense drama that would be both old-school atmospheric and modern at the same time. And that's what we got in the cinemas. Ford v Ferrari may be nearly two and a half hours long, but it paces incredibly well, and the final race is one of the most gripping scenes of the year – though the tinkering with the car in the workshop, the vigorous exchanges between the protagonists and the Ford executives, and the wild testing of what the car and its driver are no less entertaining. James Mangold's film has great heroes whose camaraderie (peppered with the occasional fight between them) you believe in, Christian Bale and Matt Damon are both excellent, and the duel with their Italian adversaries, which lasts perhaps thirty minutes, is literally packed with twists and turns and thrilling moments. Whether it's Bale hurtling down the track at 250 km/h or Damon figuring out how to carve out a few extra seconds in the pits. Aside from a few details, like the overly one-dimensional antagonists, I don't really know much to fault Ford v Ferrari for. Extremely honest filmmaking and one of the contenders for film of the year. (07.11.2019)

Mangold sucht sich wie immer dem Weg des geringsten Widerstands heraus. Die mit Benzin getränkte Bromance bevorzugt somit Klischees und einfache Abkürzungen, anstelle einer gewissen Komplexität. Manchmal wirkt Mangolds Routiniertheit lustig (die Art, wie er sich durch die Schaffung eines ekelhaften Ford-Schurken, einer B-filmartigenseitigen Karrikatur eines Ferrari-Fahrers verhilft), manchmal leicht irritierend (werden die Regisseure Bernthal unendlich lange nur Rollen anvertrauen, die er selbst im Koma spielen kann?), jedoch handelt es sich einfach nur um einen geradlinigen Spaßfaktor. Die Rennsequenzen werden mit einer Zuversicht und dem Gaspedal auf dem Boden gedreht, Bale und Damon wechseln die Radiofunkohrstöpsel aus, und dem Erstgenannten gelingt es mit seinem Gesichtsausdruck hinter dem Lenkrad mehr Intensität herauszuzaubern als den spektakulären Salti der Rennwagen am Straßenrand einer Landstraße in Le Mans. Dieser Film stellt ein Lob an ehrliche Garagen-Freaks dar, die mit ihrem Herzen sowie ihrem sensiblen Allerwertesten der Dummheit von Kravattenträgern strotzen. Das können wir gar nicht nicht gern haben, und ähnlich verhält es sich mit Rush – Alles für den Sieg. Zeitgleich werden wir jedoch das Gefühl nicht los, dass die beste Story in der gesamten Motorsportgeschichte mehr PS unter der Haube hat, zumal es Mangold gelungen ist, auf die Leinwand zu bringen. Das Ganze wirkt einfach wie ein zuverlässiger Ford-Kleinlaster mit einem dauerhaft brodelnden Diesel. Kein leidenschaftlicher Zwölfzylinder. (16.11.2019)

If you missed Rush, it's a pity that no one made a follow-up with a similar type of film. But you don't have to be sad anymore, because Ford v Ferrari is exactly the same petrol-scented racing “fairy tale made by men, for men". This time it’s about how a legend and one of the most iconic racing cars of all time was born. Mangold, whether on the track or behind the scenes, puts the pedal to the metal for two and a half hours, the races are pumped full of adrenaline, the characters are strong, the tension and the bets are tangible, the stylization of all participants including the racers, sponsors and bureaucracy is first rate, and everything is depicted with humor and drama. And in terms of craftsmanship, it couldn't have been any better. And the bunch of actors really enjoying the show is just the icing on the cake. The less academically biographical or historically precise, the more riveting and more stylish. And, above all, better. (06.11.2019)

5th best movie may be an exaggeration, but the best movie about racing it is without a doubt. James Mangold emerges as a guarantee of great quality, serving up a nerve-wracking tale of the most challenging Le Mans race, with both Christian Bale and Matt Damon excelling. At first I struggled to fully immerse myself in the film, but once the car testing began and the actual half hour race itself, packed with complications and suspense, it was a blast. I probably don't need to see it again, but I enjoyed it. 8/10 (03.12.2019)

A memorial to Ken Miles and his friendship with Carroll Shelby. Mangold directs the wonderfully clear screenplay so surehandedly that the two and a half hours spent in the theater just fly by. Ford v Ferrari is a real hit with fantastic race scenes, one-liners from Bale with his brutal British accent and Shelby’s talent as a saboteur. The fight with the big corporation encumbered with a bureaucratic system and dumb managerial decisions works just fine (and in itself mirrors today’s ridiculous times when they couldn’t get the rights to use the title Ford v Ferrari inside the European Union), but it all stands on the performances of Bale, Damon and the Ford GT40. (14.11.2019)

A more sweeping, layered and playful ride than the slightly older Rush, which by the way was much more focused and coherent than this racing part comedy, part drama. In terms of the acting, it's similarly strong, I'd even say Damon delivers one of his best performances, but at times it’s not as hard-hitting and nuanced as Ron Howard's masterpiece. Mangold loses at the finish line, but he’s racing in a slightly different category. The link remains primarily the smell of gasoline. (27.11.2019)

Eine Show, die so berauschend wie die Geschwindigkeit von einem Rennauto ist, perfekt gedreht, mit einem ausgezeichneten Ton… Genau wegen solchen Filmen, die mich für ein paar Stunden in die Mitte des Geschehens übertragen, mag ich das Kino am meisten. Über die Geschichte des berühmten Rennens habe ich eigentlich fast nichts gewusst. Deshalb hat mich der Film vom Anfang bis zum Ende überrascht. Mir haben sein Tempo, seine Leichtigkeit sowie seine behagliche Stimmung gefallen. Ich hatte den Eindruck, als ob er mir ständig gesagt hätte: "All das ist noch nichts, warte auf das Finale.“ Ich habe gewartet und muss sagen, dass es für Le Mans 66 - Gegen jede Chance dieselbe Bedeutung hat, wie z. B. das Konzert Live Aid für Bohemian Rhapsody – eine riesige Show, begeistert und hinreißend. Christian Bale ist eine Kanone (ich habe mich daran erinnert, dass ich ihn zum letzten Mal im Jahr 2012 im Film The Dark Knight Rises gesehen habe und dass es ziemlich schade ist). Er und Matt Damon sind ein gutes Duo, so ähnlich wie damals Robert Redford und Paul Newman. Die Regie von James Mangold ist präzise und der Gedanke des Films schön. Ich hoffe, dass es über Ken Miles ein Buch gibt. (16.11.2019)

In terms of the craftsmanship and the acting, it’s a precise reconstruction of events, there’s no question about it, and if I was an ardent fan of motor sports I would probably jump in joy, but I can’t put up with the motivational naivete and the explicit fairytale story, where the evil Italians deride the heroic American designers, whose bosses are blithering idiots. The cinematography and, especially, the sound of the races are awesome and Bale is great again, but I would cut twenty minutes off and pay more attention to the balance between the three climaxes, of which only one worked for me. That said, this is a pleasant film and I’ve no reason harbour any hate towards it. (24.12.2019)

Ich bin kein Fan von Sportfilmen, Autos sprechen mich nicht wirklich an und Christian Bale war noch nie mein Ding, aber ich beschloss, trotzdem ins Kino zu gehen, um Le Mans '66 - Gegen jede Chance zu sehen, ermutigt durch die Trailer im Kino und die hohen Bewertungen weit und breit. Obwohl der Film zweieinhalb Stunden lang ist, habe ich mich überhaupt nicht gelangweilt und mich von einer ehrlich erzählten und glaubwürdig gespielten Geschichte mit dem Geruch von Benzin, Schweiß und verbrannten Rädern treiben lassen, deren Tempo vielleicht sogar noch höher war als die Geschwindigkeit der Autos auf den Rennstrecken. Le Mans '66 macht keinen Hehl aus seinen Oscar-Ambitionen und scheut sich nicht, sie zu zeigen, aber das hat mich als Zuschauer nicht gestört. Nicht nur die Schauspieler, sondern auch die technische Ausführung ist atemberaubend - beim letzten Rennen fühlte ich mich wie ein Zuschauer auf der Rennstrecke im Jahr '66. Für mich gibt es vier Sterne, aber ich denke, wenn ich ein Fan und Kenner von Autorennen wäre, wäre dies sicherlich ein Fünf-Sterne-Werk. (17.11.2019)

Ford v Ferrari is interesting in the way it assembles its entire form through individual, seemingly unimportant details, to which perhaps an entire episode is devoted that seemingly has no point in itself. However, these episodes and details patiently and gradually build up a picture of what to focus on when everything in the film is at stake. In this way, the film avoids the usual problem of having the protagonists semi-pathetically explain to us what is actually going on in the finale to give the viewer a sense of direction. In the final race, it is assumed that the viewer has so far learned everything necessary to orient himself if he has been paying attention. And it's one of the many reasons why the races themselves then work so well. Not to mention how superbly filmed they are and how unassuming even in the most dramatic moments. There are, of course, those moments when, in a pinch, the top racer has to be told to ride like a dragon and suddenly he floors it and passes everyone. There's the badass wife character to keep it from being a bimbo slapped in there, there's Bale's pining for an Oscar even though he accidentally interpreted his character as a 1901 oil tycoon, but those are the compromises you have to put up with sometimes in a blockbuster. Otherwise, I'd want blockbusters to look like this. PS: with this film, I'm unfortunately forced to amend my favorite joke, "What do you call Jon Bernthal in a blazer? Will the defendant please rise" to "What do you call Jon Bernthal in a jacket? A marketer with a conscience." (12.02.2020)

I remember a time when my interest in motorsport (and especially F1) was more than lukewarm, but this phase basically ended for me with the end of Nigel Mansell's sports career. Those hair-gelled primadonnas racing today who seem to be keeping track of their online status even while in their cockpits, don't make me gasp in awe but gag instead. So, I approached the film without much expectation, which is why I enjoyed the story even more. The film took me back to a time when it was still about the driver's skills. What slightly spoiled this was the fact that the Americans defeated Don Enzo only thanks to sabotage and a theft of a stopwatch. I also wasn't happy to realize that my favorite Christian Bale was overplaying at times and Matt Damon delivered a much more natural performance. Do you get it?! Matt Damon! (02.12.2020)

The car is an industry act and the film is an industry act. Both the car and the film grow from the soil of capitalism: after all, cars and films were already born in the advanced stage of industrial society, they are its children. In order for a product to grow, we need to water it: on the level of the base, with market mechanisms, and on the level of the superstructure, with ideologies. There is too much money in both cars and films for capital to give up its offspring. Why use the vocabulary of nature to describe human activity? The good old Barthes will answer: capitalist mythology delights in the naturalization of human relationships, making them something eternal. The film - the Hollywood one, the (so far?) only real one in its influence on humanity, yes, we have to admit it - as long as it remains the fruit of the capitalist film industry, it will forever repeat the same myth-making clichés (not to mention the myriad of already exhausted and repeatedly used narrative and visual clichés!). The wheels of industry, the racing car, and the film reel must never stop because it makes production more expensive. Everything must rotate smoothly and predictably so that profits can be predictable and reproducible. Films must be made to be watched and cars must be produced to be sold. The entire film is just the fulfillment of one myth, which Barthes just described directly in connection with the film: it shows us that greedy unscrupulous Management is bad, but it immediately negates this criticism by showing us that even under this cover of bourgeois power, one can live in accordance with their inner authenticity, preserving a healthy core. The result is that the individual remains a subject of the Company - they submit to its mechanism, but they live under the illusion that they have retained their freedom and achieved their own goals. No one stands up against the Company, capitalism continues to live on. We are in the perfect sphere of ideology: "I know well that a film or a car is just a product of industry, that its raison d'être is always primarily profit, but still...” And now, honestly, dear petrolheads like me, dear cinephiles like me: when you drive your Alfa Romeo like I do and when you watch a film that you enjoy like I do... How difficult is it to realize that your idea, that even though you drive an industry act, but in those moments, exceptional moments, when you forget about it and when you let yourself be convinced that your car was also created to fulfill the desire for speed, driving characteristics, etc... that... you are just giving in to self-delusion? It's difficult, I know, impossible - maybe. Perhaps not? Perhaps something needs to change so that it isn't like that... (06.11.2019)

Disney verschlang 20th Century Fox bereits im Frühjahr, aber das symbolische Ende des Studios, das geschmackvolle teure Filme produzierte, kam erst jetzt. Und der Schlusspunkt ist wahrlich ikonisch. Le Mans ‘66 repräsentiert das ungefälschte Hollywood, wo alles so funktioniert, wie es sollte. Wo Bösewichte noch ordentliche Krawatten tragen und die guten Kerle einen gefetteten Cowboyhut. Es ist so einfach und das ist alles, was die Geschichte braucht. Und was ist der einzige grundlegende Unterschied zu Rush? Dass sie bei Hunt und Lauda wussten, man soll aufhören, wenn es am schönsten ist. (15.11.2019)

Since I'm not really a fan of car racing, I was a bit scared by the somewhat longer runtime of this film. That's why it took me quite a while to get up the courage to watch it. If I'd only known how incredibly appealingly filmed it was, I wouldn't have hesitated at all, and I'd have watched the events at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France long ago. I was never bored during the film and I was rooting for the main characters right from the beginning. I could feel the period atmosphere from all sides, even from the looks of Matt Damon and Christian Bale, who both gave very convincing performances, and especially the latter was absolutely amazing in his role. Last but not least, I also appreciate the fact that the filmmakers did not spoil the story's denouement with any heartbreaking scenes, which the tragic conclusion of the fate of British racer Ken Miles directly encouraged. I mustn't forget to mention the great soundtrack, which gave all the action the right amount of gradation. (95%) (02.02.2022)