Review: Le Mans ’66

A Star In A Reasonably Fast Car

“Is that … is that the 1960s version of … THE STIG!?”

Director: James Mangold

Writer(s): Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, Jason Keller

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

Synopsis

The USA, 1960s. Looking to boost flagging sales, Ford Motors Executives turn to former racer (and American car designer), Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), to build a race car that could defeat at Ferrari at the famous, 24 hour long, Le Mans race. Shelby takes on the challenge and recruits his friend, British race car driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale), to help him design a car that might best Ferrari. However, corporate interference from Ford makes the lives of both men far from easy …

Main review

What’s fascinating about Le Mans ’66 is that on one level, it’s a run-of-the-mill, sports underdog story. Yet, in the hands of James Mangold, Matt Damon and Christian Bales, the film becomes about something rather profound; the risks that people are willing to take, when they feel that they are born to drive at speed. Le Mans ’66 actually makes racing feel dangerous, and tension as an odd symmetry with the podracing sequence in The Phantom Menace, of all things.

Damon and Bale are excellent together, in a partnership that feels volatile, yet potentially as legendary as the very car that they intend to build for Ford, to beat Ferrari. Damon and Bale’s chemistry feels as natural as the driving skill of Ken Miles, and much of drama of the film comes from their fluctuating influences. Damon and Bale are excellent pieces of casting, and much of the film works because of their performances.

Particular praise should also go to Christian Bale’s ability to channel Jeremy Clarkson (and a bit of Alan Partridge) when he’s behind the wheel of a race car. Le Mans ’66 is a film that loves its vintage cars, and everything about driving; it’s basically vintage car porn. Every time Ken Miles steps inside a car, his cocksure attitude, borne of an acute knowledge of how to drive to win a race, comes to the fore, and Bale portrays it with a wry smile.

Le Mans ’66 is simply a great piece of drama, that’s wrapped in the packaging of a racing car film. The film’s pacing something falls short of Ken Miles’s illusive ‘perfect lap’, and the film does tend to descend into a fair few of the traditional ‘sports underdog’ tropes. Nevertheless, the engine of Le Mans ’66 roars due to a combination of great performances, and Mangold’s direction imbues scenes, both on and off the road, with a palpable sense of tension.

Pros

• Mangold makes the racing feel speedy and dangerous, reminiscent of the pod racer sequence in The Phantom Menace.
• The script is slick, mixing wit and pathos when needed.
• Damon and Bale’s performances are excellent.
• Lots of car porn.
• Christian Bale channeling his inner Jeremy Clarkson, when behind the wheel.

Cons

• The film’s pacing can be uneven.
• The film does have a tendency to fall into the established tropes of the ‘sports underdog’ genre.

In a nutshell …

While conforming to many of the tropes of the ‘sports underdog’ genre, Le Mans ’66 shines because of its charismatic performances, and Mangold’s ability to make the racing scenes feel exciting, unpredictable and therefore dangerous. Added kudos to Christian Bale’s (un)conscious of channeling of Alan Partridge and Jeremy Clarkson, when behind the wheel of a race car.