Credit: Netflix

What truly ought to be a good sports drama is the one that often works even for viewers who know very little about the sport itself. Ford v Ferrari proves that point rather extraordinarily. Sure, the film is about racing, yet it spends most of its footage on the people trying to build a machine capable of winning one of the toughest races in the world.

Director James Mangold tells you the story of the rivalry between the Ford Motor Company and Ferrari during the 1960s. Ferrari dominated endurance racing during that era, especially the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford wanted victory on that stage and hired Carroll Shelby to design a car that could beat the Italian team.

Matt Damon plays Shelby as a former racer who now builds high-performance cars. Shelby understands racing because he has lived it, and hence, the experience comes in handy. He knows the engineers must solve technical problems step by step, and he also knows the driver behind the wheel will determine whether the car succeeds once the race begins.

And then comes Ken Miles, the driver played by Christian Bale. Praising Bale for any role would be like stating the obvious, but whenever his performance in Ford v Ferrari is mentioned, the passion he’s shown as Miles will always be appreciated.

His character Miles, cares deeply about how the car performs on the track, and that dedication shows. He speaks his mind without caring about diplomacy and hence questions decisions that don’t improve the car. But Bale doesn’t just bring intensity to the character; he also has an impressive mix of humour in the film.

But his life isn’t just limited to the racecourse. When you watch his scenes with his family, you realise that the driver chasing victory on the track also has a life beyond racing.

But don’t think that since the characters are important, the racing scenes aren’t focused as much. Mangold has paid some serious attention to detail in those sequences, and you won’t miss close-ups. The characters drive the story; the racing scenes remain essential to the experience. The Le Mans race becomes a big challenge for both the cars and the drivers, who have to stay focused for almost a full day.

If you have watched a few sports dramas, then the structure of this story won’t surprise you. You can sense where certain moments are going long before they arrive. That predictability never becomes a problem, though. James Mangold keeps the film energetic throughout, and the performances from Matt Damon and Christian Bale truly make the journey enjoyable, even if you already know how the race ended in real life.

By the time the race reaches its closing moments, the rivalry between Ford and Ferrari matters less than the journey taken by Shelby and Miles. Their determination, their disagreements, and their shared belief in building a great racing machine carry the story forward.

That focus on character makes Ford v Ferrari such an enjoyable watch. The film offers some of the most memorable performances, which gave us an array of memes that are still relevant. And we got a story about dedication to craft. Spend a Sunday afternoon with this one, and thank us later.