Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Caitriona Balfe, Josh Lucas, Noah Jupe, Tracey Letts, Remo Girone, Ray McKinnon, JJ Field, Jack McMullen, Corrado Invernizzi, Christopher Darga, Shawn Law, Emil Beheshti, Darrin Prescott, Alex Gurney, Benjamin Rigby, Ben Collins, Francesco Bauco, Guido Cocomello, Adam Mayfield, Sean Carrigan, Giles Matthey, Rudolph Martin.
It is human nature to forget the past, to look to the now and see the hero in which you believe has never been held aloft take their bow as something unique, a one-off and yet it is arrogance which makes us dismiss the distinctive and the indomitable of the past which paved the way for the modern hero to rise.
Like 2013’s explosive Rush, you don’t need to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of motor sport to enjoy the spectacle that unfolds over the course of two and half hours of cinema in which to appreciate the life and drive of Ken Miles and the rivalry that was fuelled by the sleek and elegant design of Ferrari and that of the wholesale and family car manufacturer Ford. All that you need to know you learn as the film explores the race of Ken Miles’ life behind the wheel, is how much drive can cost, physically, mentally, financially, and that you would rather have people like Ken Miles, Enzo Ferrari, Carroll Shelby and Mollie Miles in the world than those who find ways to stifle imagination, who see any type of human endeavour as being one of misunderstanding, of selfishness.
There is always a story behind the story, the moment in which the hero, fictional or a true representation of the person on screen, comes alive, and even if the events are over half a century old, still deliver insight into how much drive can be a deciding factor on the road to immortality.
In Le Mans ’66 that drive is powered by the will and determination of a group of men who want to set the world on fire, to go to war on the race-track of arguably one of the most arduous and thrilling events in the sport’s history. It is a war in which Ken Miles was drawn into, and one in which he arguably won.
The story may be Ford v Ferrari, the behemoth industrialist v the sleek Italian entrepreneur but it is too Ken Miles, noted car designer Carroll Shelby and the team that was behind them, that makes Le Mans ’66 such a powerful, exciting and deserving film. High octane but one with a heart, and whilst accents perhaps should not infer such a thing, to hear Christian Bale take on the role of Ken Miles and deliver it with a near perfect Birmingham accent is one that fills the heart; it allows the cinema goer to trust in the authenticity of the events and one that is gratefully received.
Alongside Christian Bale, in one of the actor’s finest roles, Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby, Tracey Letts as Henry Ford II, Josh Lucas as Leo Beebe and Caitriona Balfe as Ken Miles’ wife, Mollie all shine, however, it is to the track itself, the history of the sport that comes out as true winner and regardless of your involvement for motor sport, no one can deny how important the film is when it comes to recognising a true unsung Birmingham hero.
Entertaining, thrilling, just, Le Mans ’66 is the ride of your life that you didn’t know you needed.
Ian D. Hall