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

LOGAN (2017)

Genre: Drama / Action
Running Length: 2:17
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant
Director: James Mangold
Screenplay: Scott Frank, James Mangold and Michael Green

LOGAN is a very different kind of superhero movie. There are no portals opening up from the sky. No giant robots. No loud noises and definitely not a CGI fest. This is a very grounded and gritty film. Both bad and innocent people die violently in this film.

First and foremost, this film is set up as a drama with a depressing theme; mortality. Yes, there are enough intense action pieces to keep the traditional superhero audience going, "Oh sh*t!" But overall, it's a slow paced movie. There are a lot of dialogue and even a homely scene of our protagonists having a decent conversation with a family over dinner. Yep, some folks I know said Logan was boring.

A quick summary of the plot. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world of 2029 where mutants are mostly extinct. An aging Logan/Wolverine (yes, he is not immortal. He just ages much much slower) lives a secluded life as a chauffeur. The measly income he earns is used to buy illegal meds to treat an even older and frail Charles Xavier/Professor X (Stewart). Charles is suffering from early stages of a brain degenerative disease. When Logan agrees to accept a big cheque to chauffeur a lady and a young girl to the border of Canada, he soon realised that the young girl is no ordinary girl.

In no time, the baddies are after them with truckload of firearms. And when our hero face off with them, it is unapologetically violent. It truly deserves its 18 years+ rating.  The wounds inflicted by Logan is extremely graphic (imagine a ferocious and powerful lion swiping its claws continuously across your soft flesh). And there are alot of swearing. In fact, the first word in the movie is, "F*ck!"

And there lies the problem for me. No doubt that fans will be pleased with an R-rated Wolverine (finally!) but just because it's not kids friendly, the filmmakers need not have to insert curse words in every other sentence. And they made the film as graphically violent as it can be. Curse words and violence, when used appropriately, can be very powerful. Here, it just loses its power.

And I get it that director James Mangold wanted to make a Western, but there is a particular scene where he hammers home this point in a "Get it?! Get it?!??" manner. In fact, there are many of such "Get it?!?" scenes just to make a point. And there is this particular villain which I thought was a little out of place.

But in terms of performance, Jackman and Stewart delivers one of their finest performance. They are totally committed. And I was particularly captivated by newcomer Dafne Keen's passion and ferality. Technically, the film is beautiful to look at and the score complements the movie well.

I was actually hoping the filmmakers would explore deeper the anger and emotional pain Logan had to experience in his lifetime due to his "curse of immortality". Alas, it was just briefly mentioned. I really wanted this film to punch me emotionally in the gut since this would be Jackman's last performance as Wolverine, but it didn't.

RATING: 7.5/10