Le Mans '66 reviewed by Mark Kermode
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2025
- Mark Kermode reviews Le Mans ‘66. A car designer and a driver team up to build a revolutionary Ford race car that will challenge Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.
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AS a petrol head of a certain age , I actually remember the actual race, in 1966 and I knew the story going into the film , and I loved it , the beautifully shot racing scenes were a revelation , and what made it for me was the glorious performance of Christian Bale - he seemed to be relishing every scene he's in overall , a brilliant file all round
I'm from Detroit, I stood about ten feet from the Ford GT 40.
For us car people the main character is the GT 40!!
James Mangold is one of my faves. He makes consistently good and interesting yet also commercial films.
Like Martin Sorcese without the pretentious.
He's a really solid, versatile journeyman, which the age where "auteurs" get worshiped, is an undervalued thing, IMO.
Logan shouldve been nominated for best picture in 2017
Logan was okay, but I don't really like Mangold, he makes average movies, ful of clichés and melodrama with no real subtlety or substance. And this film was typical Mangold.
I just got back from the theatre. This is a wholly unexpected laugh a lot, cry a bit edge of your seat thriller with some fantastic acting from all concerned, including the cars. Much, much deeper than I thought it would be, and thoroughly better than I ever expected. Go see it. It warrants a big screen and big sound.
I was impressed by the racing sequences. I was half expecting a lot of CGI cars but there were the genuine articles and in terms of track excitement it's up there with Frankenheimer's "Grand Prix", "Le Mans" and "Rush". If you liked those movies, you'll like this.
I saw Le Mans '66 at a surprise preview screening a couple of weeks back, and a very welcome surprise it was. It's brilliantly shot. Both leads are superb, Bale especially and it really flies by. I'm not a big fan of actual motor racing but it does seem to lend itself very well to movies. Along with Rush this was one of the most thrilling cinema experiences of the last few years.
Le Mans 66 what a terrible title lol
Completely agree. I myself am a huge motorsport fan, and so it brings me such happiness to see some of the greatest true stories and showdowns come to the mainstream big screen. Rush and Le Mans 66 are some examples of how motorsport has some of the most exhilarating stories ever. I hope the success of Rush and the (hopefully huge) success of Le Mans 66 will encourage studios to produce more of these motorsport stories. Trust me, there are a lots of other unbelievable stories and rivalries in motorsport history that could make for epic films.
I’m from Birmingham and the accent didn’t upset me but loved Ken saying “round the Wreakin”, “fizzy pop” and “a cheese cob” which is so brummie! Fantastic film, wasn’t expecting to feel so emotional at the end.
"Yao wont tao beat Firarri...in a Faord?"
Le Mans 66 is a way better title than ford v Ferrari
Obviously
They truly are striking European and American titles, aren't they? Connotations all over.
That’s cause most Americans don’t know what Le Mans is or where it is.
Harold Shand if they are Steve McQueen fans or motor racing they do
Monkey Magic lol brilliant 👍
Brummie here. That accent (at least in the clip) is spot on
@Joe Cool never realised he was a brit 👍
I enjoyed it far more than I expected. Very entertaining with some great acting. The Daytona race sequence was amazing with EPIC music. Oh! and this movie reminded me why I used to watch car racing but I don't watch it now.
Bale is brilliant in this.
It took confidence to do that accent.
He gets it spot on.
In my country this movie is named "Full Throttle". It's like they want me to not see it.
What website are you watching it on then?
It's named ''Kings of Asphalt'' in my country :D
@@thelastalbumbender it's called "Ford v Ferrari" in my country. But in all seriousness, the movie is amazing.
Sorry
Just back from seeing it while it's still at the cinema and really, really enjoyed it!
I thought the whole cast was excellent, the racing scenes were thrilling (a great mix of good cgi and practical effects) and the story was genuinely compelling. I'm a motorsports fan, but actually didn't know some of the details that make the final act of this film so compelling.
My only tiny gripe is the occasional use of 'Fast & Furious' style gear changes and the 'ooh, I'll just squeeze the throttle a bit more to overtake this car' shots when they're clearly already going at full pelt...
Saw it yesterday and it was brilliant. Would be happy to go and see it again.
Bales acting range physically and mentally is insanely underrated.
Bale being Brian Cox
I saw this and Knives Out in theaters back to back. It was a great day at the cinema indeed.
Just came back from it. I agree, a lot of fun, and well done. Very enjoyable film. Time to watch Steve McQueen again...
Rush is better
Sounds like a prequel to the Le Mans cinematic universe where we see the origins of Michael Delaney.
Funnily enough McQueen gets a mention early in the film as one of Shelby's customers; he realises that the car he's just sold to someone he already agreed to sell to McQueen...
Fantastic movie, well acted and brilliant race shots. Up the Brummies! 10/10
Bale's accent is fine! He (Ken Miles) wasn't from Birmingham, he was from Sutton Coldfield (30 mins drive north of Birmingham). Our accents are quite unusual as they have brummie twangs at points but often have southern inflections at parts- hence why you probably thought it 'did laps'.
Sutton Coldfield is absolutely part of Birmingham although hasn't always been (became part of Brum in 1974). It's also nowhere near 30 mins drive as it's only 7 miles from the city centre.
Darren Wilson Hi.
You are correct that it is part of the wider area of Birmingham. My point was, however, to do with his accent, with the Sutton Coldfield accent differing wildly from a classic Brummie accent.
Also, I drive from Sutton Coldfield to Birmingham regularly and it takes usually 25 minutes in average to little traffic. In bad traffic it can take up to 50 minutes.
@@MrNorbo95 It does differ, granted, as the accent is generally thicker near the centre. Although I'd argue it has much to do with socio-economic factors as it does location.
Darren Wilson True! But that’s somewhat true for all accents. No accents are actually caused by a geographic location itself.
@@MrNorbo95 Accents aren't caused by location?
Maybe I’m on my own here, but Bale’s performance really distracted me most of the time. I was focused more on what Bale was doing as an actor rather than who he was trying to portray…
As a a motor racing fan and film fan this movie gave me everything I wanted.
Then you are neither, lol.
I was taken to the cinema to see LeMans by my mom who was a classic Steve McQueen fan.
I loved the film and Bale's accent always made me smile. To me, it sounded part brummie, part northern.
I really enjoyed Ford v Ferrari (what the movie is called in the U.S.). It was fun and intense. Both Matt Damon and Christian Bale deliver great performances.
7,000 revs was used more as a signpost for the audience. It was a way to establish a ceiling on the reliability of the car and to that end works perfectly. Once The layperson in the audience accepts that running the car above 7,000 revs pushes it beyond breaking point, and within the stakes of almost entirely attritional motor racing let’s us know that once the car breaks the jig is up, the film has an abiding principle: to win Le Mans you have to finish. If you break the car you don’t finish. If you run at > 7,000 revs your odds of finishing significantly decrease.
Further, it is paid off late in the movie in a moment that underpins Ford’s development and growth, as well as Miles’ expertise and role in building the car and his bravery behind the wheel. It isn’t simply that the car can get to that many revs and sustain running, but that Miles can nurse it at it’s volatile and find calm amongst the chaos.
7,000 revs is a way for the film to express the hubris of it’s key players’, and one of my favourite character moments of the year is when Miles in his Ford coaxes his Ferrari-driving rival beyond the absolute limit and the prancing horse breaks under the strain. It symbolises the strides Ford and Miles had taken in pursuing and now catching the measuring stick. It’s the moment that they became the measuring stick. They had built a car capable of doing what not no car before could.
Manchego Cheese very well put, but as you said MK didn’t see it. Looking forward to seeing this.
You should not forget that Shelby said (in the recently found lost interview) that they bench tested the engines to see if they could stand the pressure of the entire race. In fact, the very same engines that had already done several Le Mans on the bench, were in the cars that won in '66. They knew that these engines had the endurance.
Good explanation.
Yeah, that's what didn't work.
“Would you like some pop?” Love this film, should have got far more coverage than it did. Bale, Damon and Caitríona Balfe are spot on. Really enjoyed it.
Just watched a u tube clip of Miles and Shelby talking and Ken Miles has the accent of a British officer from WW2 which he was. There’s no real Brummie accent, I believe he was from Sutton Coldfield which is one of the posher areas of Bham so that fits
Ken Miles was a Sergeant tank commander in WW2. He did have a British accent, even though he'd moved to the States.
Sadly there's not a lot of documentary footage of him, but I did see a video recently where they interviewed all the key people involved in this and it was clear that there were a lot of British race engineers, so someone saying "Cor Blimey" was not unusual. Ken Miles was at heart a race engineer who happened to race cars rather well. He taught his mechanic more about being a race engineer than anyone else did.
@@WOTArtyNoobs Nige is saying he didn't sound Brummie, he sounded posh in real life. And it would be unusual for anyone to say "Cor blimey!" because no real, actual English people talk like that, only Americans pretending to be English.
Is it me or is Christian Bale pretending to be Pete Postlethwaite in that clip?
Sounds like Bale is doing an impression of Brain Cox.
omg yes.
More like Bill Oddie.
@@numberstation oh my goodness yes!!!!
Recently watched the John Frankenheimer directed Grand Prix, coincidentally released in 1966, which has superb racing scenes so I hope this can match it.
rockinchimp The 70mm cinematography is still phenomenal.
Funnily enough they actually used a Ford GT40 (The car from Le Mans '66) in the filming of Grand Prix as the camera car.
I guarantee you now some people who see this review before they see the film will come out disappointed that he only chucks a spanner once throughout.
Well, you've done it now, ruined the film for me.
The fact is that Ken Miles was a very volatile character and felt that he'd been screwed at the result of the race - which he was. Ford should have allowed him to get the win so he would have had the triple crown, but they were far more interested in that publicity picture of three Ford GT40s finishing together.
Matt Damon said in many of the interviews that Miles often won the battles but lost the war as a result. It appears that Ford were not content to let him race the car when Ferrari were out of the running for fear that he might have an engine failure. So they told him to slow down and that allowed the others to catch up - then they were also told to slow down. If only they had allowed them to finish line astern with Miles at the front - that would have been hilarious, but I guess that Miles had rubbed some people the wrong way and the Le Mans officials were well annoyed that three cars finished together and they decided to get their own back too.
The film is great. I absolutely loved it.
As someone born and bred just outside of Bham his accent is hilarious. Almost like he wasn't allowed to go full Brummie in case that would be too hard for the "International" audience to understand. Funnier though is the fact that a "near brummie" and I think a Liverpudlian managed to have a son who sounds like he's from Lancashire 🤣.
I will let you in on a little story. In June 1966, my parents had entertained some guests in their Paris flat. It was coffee time when my father said, "Let's all go to Le Mans". Not at all racing enthusiasts, they nonetheless did. 2 hours laters, they arrived, past midnight, to see the big accident in Esse. And yes, Ford was there. An impressive, very tall man, according to my late father, giving orders, very american....true story.
I met Shelby in 1991. this film really captures him & Miles very well. I am a car fanatic so a bit biased.
Absolutely thrilling film. Legit what a ride. It was shot incredibly well i thought. The lighting and framing was beautiful to look at. Loved the score and Bale was just great
7000 rpm is a limit where the engine will fail for those racing engines at that time.
The poetry is bad and the reference doesn't work.
Bale sound like he's channelling Prof Brian Cox.
In the clip at least it's a fairly convincing West Mids accent. It's a more consistent accent than Rebecca Ferguson managed in Doctor Sleep (which changed continents rather than postal codes) so I'm not quite sure why K and M are derisive here.
I had no idea the film had multiple titles, it’s just called Ford vs Ferrari here, which sounds so tacky. Le Mans is a much better title!
Aside from Mark's physiological gripe (or nitpick), with which I disagree but he's entitled; this film is wonderfully entertaining from start to finish. Superbly acted, great script and story with intense racing scenes which will be the big draw for most of the people who are interested in this film. Go see this film.
Brummies are really good at motor vehicles. Triumph, BSA, the dude played by Chrisitan Bale, etc.
Ken Miles.
5:44 George Lukas is in this? Nice 😜
Great film but the only thing that bugged me was the in car scenes 200 mph down the mulsane straight was made to look like a leisurely drive to buy a pint of milk. It reminded me of the old movies carry grant etc in a car with a funny random road scene in the car windows, maybe this was in part intentional to create nostalgia?????????
Film must be truly great if Mark Kermode saying nice things about it which is very hard for him to do for most films he tends to see and review out there!
I loved this movie and I thought Christian Bale was excellent as Ken Miles. Yes, his midlands accent did appear a little Mark Williams (The Fast Show) at times, but I thought it fit. As a motor racing and Le Mans GT fan I was pleased it was as accurate as possible. See it on Screen X - WOW!! 9/10 for me.
A modern classic, a masterpiece of the car racing genre. Incredibly enjoyable movie
Just saw the trailer for this the man said “ critics at calling this a triumph “ I thought no it’s not it’s ford and Ferrari
waaaaaahhhhyyyyy!
This is the first time in years Bale has done a performance close to his actual accent and yet it sounds so odd and fake
He's Welsh, sounds bugger all like a West midlands accent...
Jenny Warm that’s because he’s doing a dreadful brummy accent, at least in that clip
His real accent is more London than anything
Video Invader so what’s his real accent then?
I don’t think it’s odd and fake, it’s just quite a funny and over the top accent generally
Yeah I was confused but I think here in the USA it called FORD VS FERRARI...not Le Mans 66.....
Which I thought was 66...thanks carry on
The Red Car and the Blue Car had a race
Not always Will, that is how films USED to - ney have ALWAYS sadly been portrayed. that is how the casual viewer percieves motorsport. It's nothing like that if you can get to meet the drivers and get behind the corperate face. Driver's characters and personalities come through their cars in the way they drive and this film puts a halt to that often held (sometimes true) view. Was that personality not there to be seen or not found is often the question!
@@davidlloyd5161 I admire the obvious passion for motor racing in this comment
All red wants to do is feed his face, etc
Driven is still my fave car flick.... yes, I have lost my mind.
Has there ever been a movie where film critics don't complain about the actor's accent? Is it the law?
When I heard Christian Bale in this clip, I could not help but think he sounded like Paddy Considine in Dead Man's Shoes.
Pete Hobson great movie!
I am English and live in Australia, i literally didn't want to watch a film named Ford v Ferrari. Gutted to find out it's European title is Le Mans ‘66.
I had a big problem with how the racing scenes were portrayed. Cars from 1966 taking the Mulsanne corner at unbelievable speeds and braking 50 metres before the corner. Not even by modern standards that's normal. Took some immersion out of it for me considering they did a good job portraying the Le Mans circuit of the time. Otherwise, I quite enjoyed it.
“Surprisingly entertaining” pretty much sums it up. It was ok. But it’s no Rush and absolutely no Senna.
I really, really wanted to **really** like it, but it has inexplicably and inexcusably clunky moments and drops cliches with surprising abandon.
Most frustratingly, Basil Exposition gets a serious workout and should have a title credit.
Given the reviews, it appears to give people exactly what they want, so I’m a tad confused now...
Agree. Some cliches are close being caricatures, i found it difficult not to be distracted by them
teaber It was surprising. Mangold is great, so I’m not clear how this got through.
If I was to try an analogy, it’s like ale Mans was the voice over version of Blade Runner. Patronizing script choices that unnecessarily dumbed it down meant I felt regularly ejected from from being in the film to being outside the film.
One of many examples was the inclusion of what was effectively a “go faster” device. A cliche which has the double misfortune of also being entirely a contrived notion.
Like I said, I really wanted to like this film!
Yeah its good to hear your opinion sounded like u were entertain....are u not entertained,sorry don't know where that came from,it just fit.....I was feeling that its should due well considering how much its got to tell in the short course of 2 hours....good to hear a yes or thumbs up...THANKS....that's pretty awsum u guys know your accents right down to the mailing address...wow....
Saw it today and thoroughly enjoyed it, though I think it was half an hour too long and a bit baggy in places. I thought everyone was excellent in their roles. Regarding Tracy Letts, isn't he a writer? Have I imagined that?
I’ve seen some worryingly luke warm reviews of this film, so it’s great that Mark actually liked it. Which means I’ll have to go and see it.
As for Ken Miles’ brummie accent... in real life he had a typical British officer’s accent (he was a tank commander in WWII) and sounded nothing like a brummie.
@@dizzy2020 I'd maybe Google Christian Bale...
John Peat An American???
@@dizzy2020 Bale is English, not American
John Peat
Has it dawned on you yet that Christian Bale isn’t American?
I agree. Bale is great, but I was really impressed with Damon
@Jake Bullet when has he not done actual acting though ? Check out his vast catalogue, such a wide variety of roles
"I don't know anything about motor racing." That makes two of us.
@Space Monkey Neither.
@Space Monkey Pos no más
if you see the film you will fall in love with Le Mans - greatest race of all
I watched both Le Mans '66 and Joker this week. Le Mans '66 is the better film, but Joker has the better lead performance. Bale's accent is all over the place in this.
The film was amazing!
Starting to grate on Kermodes reviews. Lots of backhanded compliments....surprisingly entertaining? ...
Film is amazing
I saw it twice. My biggest regret is not seeing in IMAX format. It, for me, was the best film last year. With Apollo 11 close behind
the accent issue didn't really put me off other than i missed quite a few of the quips because I didn't understand him and I've had almost 30 years of training by trying to understand a glaswegian father-in-law.
I thought he was from somewhere around Landan, but I wasn't sure where. I thought maybe Croydon.
3:06 You mean "Rush", not "Senna" right?
Senna is much better than Rush.
My Dad took us to see Le Mans as well, at the now defunct Godiva Cinema in Coventry. Ken Miles was a Brummie. Also this is more of a British movie than American due to the original GT40 being based on a Lola and made in Britain.
Cap Colombie no such thing as a lotus Lola, two separate company’s, lotus and Lola, the car itself was developed by Lola so you’re on the right track, anyway to all intents and purposes it’s a British designed car funded by the Americans
@@archibaldchimpin My mistake getting Lotus and Lola mixed up together. Anyway it's another example of the Yanks bullshitting and changing history. The edit button will now be my friend as regards my first comment.
I adored this movie!! One of my all time favorites watched it many time!!!❤️❤️👏👏
What?! Le Mans '66?! Here in the States it's titled Ford vs. Ferrari?! Is Le Mans '66 the "SnyderCut" of Ford v. Ferrari!?
I think Ford v Ferrari is a misleading title. It's more Ford v Ford. Ferrari are barely in the film.
Its actually very funny in bits....
These movies that focus on human will power are inspirational. Christian Bale focuses on the type of character who is extremely good at his craft. I think you missed the point of this movie.
Its obviously West Midlands, and not true brummie. The accent sounded ok to me (my dad was a brummie), I wouldn’t have been able to pin point it to Sutton Coldfield.
06:36 for the actual review
Review Parasite please?
I'm pretty sure he already did.
It's not out in the UK until February for some reason
***Ford vs. Ferrari in US and Canada***
Wow. surprised Kermode like this. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. The characters were all very cut-out cartoonish in nature. They spend some amazing time creating a visually authentic look, then ruined it with some hopeless technical inaccuracies (like down shifting and accelerating on the mulsanne straight? what??
The really interesting thing is to compare to Steve McQueen's Le Mans film...which absolutely smashes it out the park in my view. McQueen's film is timeless. It's better today than it was when it was made. I don't think Le Mans 66 will age as well.
Unbelievable that The Irishman is not even listed in the 'movie charts'....it's one of the best movies of the 21st century.
See it in the Cinema if ya can.
It has a very limited cinema release. That's why. Netflix will crash when its put up in a week or so.
You can't.
@@dpcater you walked out after two and a half hours??? You must have been so angry!
@Chris Darby Have you seen it? To be fair, you may be correct, but have you seen it?
half an hour too long and dies in the third act so Scorsese has to create controversy to see his film. Shame as he was one of the best in the business.
A Kipper-Tie with two sugars
How did he pronounce the name Caitriona? Thought it was Ca-tree-na
You're correct, he completely butchered it. Always happens to Irish names!
Someone called Wally Pfister shot erotic thrillers? Oh my.
Cool Review. The 7000 revs thing you don't get Mark cause you've never been in that place, few people have.
cringe
In the UK it was Le Mans '66. Why? Ford vs Ferrari would make more marketing sense as more people even in the UK know about Ford and FERRARI than about Le Mans.
UK copyright law prevents a film from using the brand names of car companies like Ford or Ferrari without their permission; the new title was out of necessity, and Le Mans still has some recognition here, particularly amongst racing fans, of which there are quite a few in the UK.
@@GeriatricFan1963 So it does not matter that it is an American film?
John Not Real Name no because it’s in the UK, same as our films when shown in the US come under US law.
@@nigeh5326 Oh @~?£ I did not know that thank you all.
@@GeriatricFan1963 Yea, thanks. I saw all the comments about Americans not knowing what Le Mans is but I wondered if that many more Britons do either. Anyway, I still think the British title is more appropriate. I agree with Mark about sounding like a lawsuit.
Great to hear positive reviews of this. Hopefully it will erase the memory of Rush; the most overrated and shallow film about motorsport that I've ever had the misfortune to sit through.
Rush is better than this.
@@fbcaware8805 I've just watched this, and Rush is most definitely not better than it.
When are you going to review parasite???
In February I imagine, when it's released in the UK
Why is it being released so late there?
Thank god, it’s ok.
It's not.
Bale’s odd accent was quite distracting other than that I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Such a shame the Ken Miles died and was deprived of his Le Mans win to complete the hat-trick of wins.
Bails is English that is his accent miles was English also
Jose Traba
And so am I, Ive never heard a Brummie accent like it.
Excellent film, glad I saw it at the Flicks, the noise, visuals, top stuff. Christian Bale stole it for me.....Matt was good but that actor's 100 yard stare that they do is false, just coz I stare hard doen't make me an actor! The petrol heads (I am one) will be a little disappointed though.
let's stand back here, if you've raced for real you know that you can make something dramatic without making all the other cars do 70mph and have countless gearchanges - in the wrong direction! for instance "7,000 revs" should simply have been replaced with "the red line" it is that simple! everyone would have got it! So whoever the Motorcport adviser was - sack him. Still a great film and go and see it at the flicks....it's worth it.
FORD ? They took a British Lola racing car and shoehorned a big iron Ford engine in it, this film was a letdown but thne making of a racecar film is so difficult, they always end up as 'male emotion' films. I went to Le Mans in 1970, a weekend of almost solid rain, when the McQueen film was made ( a decade later I had a road car just like his but RHD so I only really like his drive to the track intro.)
Kipper tie = cuppa tea, almost Ozzie Osborne. I think Bale’s natural London accent is perfectly good for the big screen, they should have made his character an Arsenal fan or something. This faux Brummie accent makes him sound like Jasper Carrot, or Barry from Auf Weidersehen. Don’t think I could take him seriously somehow.
about the accent. (7:01)
ruclips.net/video/iIStk-bLfaQ/видео.html
I like 'dis. I like this a lot.
It's not a documentary. I have had a replica GT40 for many years so know quite a lot about GT40s. I have driven flat out round the track at Le Mans a couple of times. The cars looked a bit slow. I took my grandson to see it on the IMAX screen with big sound. I am into race cars and I really enjoyed this film and would be very happy to see it again. Ignore reviews - go and see it for yourself - at the IMAX if you can.
I much prefer the title of "Ford v Ferrari", I think it's a better fit for the film overall.
Brits are hard as hell on accents; maybe I'm just an American, but doesn't sound that bad to me.
No 'maybe' about it.
Thats ok because we all think Americans all talk like George Dubbya Bush anyway!
Sad to know that Mr. Miles died only a year or two after these events testing an 'upgraded' GT.
Worse than that actually; it was literally 2 months after Le Mans when he lost his life at Riverside, which is covered at the end of the movie.
The original title brings forth memories of my disappointment when I thought that Batsy v. Supes was going to be a courtroom drama. And turned out not to be so. Glad they changed the titled in this case. I didn't want to be disappointed again. No. Not like this.