Ron Howard absolutely blew me away with the Niki Lauda and James Hunt movie Rush. Now it’s Director Jame Mangold’s job to weave another legendary racing tale.
The story of Ford Vs Ferrari at Le Mans ’66 as Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles go up against the Italians at the most enduring car race in the world.
Lemans 66 4DX review
The long film duration had me worried. I was concerned that this would be a 210+ minute advert for Ford but it was far form. Le Mans ’66 a story of heart, endurance, passion and it’s told so beautifully that even a non motorsports fan could truly enjoy this one. Matt Damon steps away from his usually one dimension roles and plays Carroll Shelby with aplomb.
He is a driving force (excuse the pun) of the movie and puts in one hell of a stellar performance. A performance that is only heightened by the breathtaking Christian Bale as Ken Miles.
The two are a match made in sports racing heaven as their relationship develops layers as the film progresses. Their friendship enduring the strength of the Ford corporation making decisions set to cause tension. Determined to keep the face of Ford in good standing there’s nothing the corporation won’t do to keep face.
I thought the perseverance of Carroll Shelby to stand up for not only his own beliefs but his friend was admirable. I’m not sure how accurate to the real story the feature is but if that’s even somewhat true then Carroll Shelby was quite the man indeed.
Le Mans ’66 4DX Review
Once the GT40 is built to compete at Le Mans the film expands on the Le Mans ’66 race with some beautiful in-car racing footage that in 4DX was an experience. Every rumble of the car, every shift, every corner was experienced through the magic of 4DX.
We went to a different cinema to see this production and the fans were quieter, the seats were more reactive and the whole experience was a joy to watch. 4DX wasn’t just a novelty to the production it enhanced every single scene we were watching on screen.
4DX is going from strength to strength and with strong collaborations like this things are only set to get bigger and better.
I’m sure that many scenes in this film don’t combine with historical accuracy here but it matters not. There’s no point in quibbling over fact vs fiction.
The film is one hell of a spectacle backed by solid performances. Even side roles such as Jon Bernthal’s role as a Ford marketing exec plays such a strong side story to the central plot. Jon plays as a member of the Ford marketing team.
A team that are dead set on having things their way whilst Shelby has other ideas. Jon’s character becomes the go-between between Ford and Shelby’s driving force.
Overall
One minute you’re laughing, the next you’re thrown into a full throttle action flick. When you think that’s calmed down somewhat the film hits you with emotional notes that you don’t expect. I’m feeling emotional and reminding myself that this is a racing film not a soap opera. It really hits you with a full range of emotion and films like this are few and far between.
They’ve really struck gold with this one.
Le Mans 66 4DX Review by Sean Evans
Summary
James Mangold has knocked this one out of the park. A film that delivers in every department and whilst it may not be historically accurate in all departments it truly is a spectacle. A shining and glittering feature that truly stands out within the 2019 feature film slate.
