FORD V FERRARI

Release Date: Malaysia, 14 Nov 2019

Genre: Drama

Running Length: 2:32

Cast: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Caitriona Balfe, Tracy Letts, Josh Lucas, Noah Jupe

Director: James Mangold

Screenplay: Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth and Jason Keller

Do not be put off by the average looking trailer. When I first saw it, it looked uninteresting. But thanks to some positive reviews and buzz worthy word-of-mouth, I'm glad I checked it out. FORD V FERRARI is anything but boring!

This movie is probably the most entertaining feel-good movie of the year for me. And this is coming from someone who has zero interest in cars. Why I really enjoyed this film:

• It has all the beats of a good sports movie; the underdog, the washed up coach, the training montage, the competition, the tension, the victory. 
• Excellent chemistry between movie stars Damon and Bale. It's their "bromance" that makes this movie rise up above the other movies from the same genre. (Side note: This seems to be the year where star-driven movies are making a comeback vs superhero action genre. Case in point; Once Upon A Time in Hollywood)
• The races are beautifully shot. It's not confusing and you can easily make out who's leading the track and who's lacking behind. The race scenes feel real and dangerous, with death a high possibility. Apparently, no CGI was used for the racing scenes. The energetic and pulsating score also added to the intensity of these "action" pieces. 
• The father (Bale) and son (Jupe) relationship here is touching.
• The filmmakers take on who's the true villain (and it's not Ferrari).  

Overall, Ford v Ferrari isn’t necessarily a ground breaking movie, but it’s a solid entertaining blockbuster driven by human drama.

RATING: 9/10

THE BIG SHORT (2016)

Genre: Comedy / Drama
Running Length: 2:12

Cast: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, John Magaro, Finn Wittrock, Brad Pitt, Melissa Leo, Marisa Tomei, Jeremy Strong

Director: Adam McKay

Screenplay: Adam McKay and Charles Randolph, based on the book by Michael Lewis

"Three great forces rule the world; stupidity, fear and greed." Albert Einstein

THE BIG SHORT is one of those rare films which fuses comedy and drama so effectively. And we're not talking about a light subject matter here. It's about the burst of the housing credit bubble in 2008 which brought about the devastating global financial meltdown where tens of thousands of people lost their homes and jobs. To be fair, the comedy showcased here is of the sharp comedic edge and wit genre and not the silly LOL humour one has come to expect from McKay's work. All in all, this is a serious comedy presented in an unconventional filmmaking technique. And it works brilliantly. 

This movie (which is based on true events) tells the story of a few group of investors which saw the opportunity to profit off the imminent collapse of the housing market. This interesting narrative is merged flawlessly with a semi-documentary presentation of what happened leading to the crash. Usually for movies with an ensemble cast, the character development will suffer as there's just too many things happening. But not for this film, as the main characters (Bale and Carell) are fully fleshed out and is ably supported by the other big-name actors. Speaking of the two actors, Carell's performance is equally compelling as Bale's. 

Credit is given to the screenplay for successfully explaining something so complicated ("credit default swaps", "collateralized debt obligations") using object lessons and cameo appearances such as Anthony Bordain and Selena Gomez - employed in a hilarious way. And yet, movie goers are also caught up with the lives of these individual characters. 

With so many things happening, it's a miracle that The Big Short emerges triumphant and didn't fall apart. It's educational, highly engaging and energetic. And I couldn't help but to feel a deep anger when I walked out of the cinema hall as lo and behold, how little has changed today since the devastation of 2008. Oh, and did I say this was a comedy? 

Rating: 9/10

AMERICAN HUSTLE (2014)

 

Genre: Thriller/Comedy/Drama
Running Length: 2:09
Cast: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence, Louis C.K.
Director: David O. Russell  

AMERICAN HUSTLE is such a letdown especially after just watching David O. Russell's last effort, Silver Linings Playbook. And this film was marketed as a comedy - really?! I only chuckled once or twice. Despite its stellar cast and great production creds, the film didn't hold my interest at all and I was bored for most of it. This movie is all about the con; from small jobs to big time operations but Russell never loses focus on the small group of characters and their relationship with one another as the center of his story. Christian Bale is memorable as a sympathetic (or pathetic) con artist. The costumes and hair/make-up is effective circa 70s. The song choices are appropriate. Everything reminds me of the award-winning Boogie Nights. But why then didn't I enjoy this film?? It's actually driving me up the wall not liking this effort when established movie critics are raving about it. Maybe it's the heavy dialogue. Maybe it's the length. Maybe it was trying too hard to be clever. Maybe it's just me.

Rating: 3/10