Ford v Ferrari (film): Definitely worth seeing on the big screen

Like most people, I love going to the cinema and in Thailand it is extremely cheap to do so and the theaters are at least as nice as the ones I have been to in North America. I would argue they are significantly better but to be fair I haven't been to a cinema in the States in over a decade.

Yesterday found myself and a few friends in a near empty theater for the 4pm show. If a fight had broken out between us and everyone else in the cinema, we likely would have won. I don't understand the economics of owning a theater here - I've never seen any film with many people in it but then again, I avoid the place on the weekend.

Anyway, onto the film.

I try to avoid all spoilers in these things but if you want to see a film truly blind, you may wish to skip this

Unlike the 2 other people I went to this film with: I actually had no idea about how this movie was going to end and therefore I think it was more entertaining to me. If you too don't know, I encourage you to NOT look it up and go in blind (and no, i am not going to spoil it in this write-up)

Basically, the film takes us back to the mid 60's when Ford and American cars in general didn't get much respect on the global scene. While Ford was selling a crap ton of cars, they were seen as lacking in style and performance.

Ferrari on the other hand, was a company operating at a loss but whose vehicles commanded respect both on the road and in the international racing circuit. It was considered the sexiest car on the road (some might argue it still is.) Ford made a bid to purchase the floundering Ferrari and the ownership snubbed the offer as well as intentionally insulted Henry Ford II. Because of this, the exceptionally wealthy Ford wanted vengeance and was willing to pay for it.

Enter Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon,) an American sports-car designer and former international racing driver. Ford contracts Shelby to build him a car and a racing team with cost not being an issue. Such is Ford's intense desire to settle the score with Enzo Ferrari (ah, the notions of the ultra-wealthy.)

Throughout the development of the team and car, Shelby encounters a great deal of resistance from Ford, namely in how his chosen driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) is difficult to work with. Despite his natural gift for driving and understanding vehicles, the top brass at Ford simply do not like the man.

And that is pretty much the story... or at least all that I am gonna say about it for the sake of not giving away key plot-information.

The films is great because everyone in it does such a magnificent job and it is just shocking how much Bale looks like the actual Ken Miles. I didn't much care for Jon Bernthal as Lee Iacocca, but that isn't really his fault... I just haven't liked the guy since Walking Dead and I hated him as The Punisher.

The action on the track is just incredible especially when you consider that the cars depicted are meant to be over 50 years old. I mean, they are obviously replicas but they are very good ones at that. The track sequences are intense in a loud theater and I would imagine even moreso in 3-D. By the end of the film you actually learn a really crazy part of racing history as well and at least for me, I do appreciate a true story.

It is still in cinemas now (at least in Asia) and has already nearly doubled it's production budget of near $100 million.

I'm sure this film will be great once it eventually hits streaming services but I think you would be doing yourself a bit of disservice if you didn't at least try to see it on the big screen.