LE MANS '66 REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Prior to watching Le Mans '66 (which is also known as Ford V Ferrari in the United States), my expectations were quite high as, following its premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in August, the critical reception was mostly positive. Critics praised the performances from Matt Damon and Christian Bale and the racing sequences that feature in the film. Because of this, it quickly became one of my most anticipated films.

Le Mans '66 is based on the remarkable true story of the visionary American car designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and the fearless British-born driver Ken Miles (Bale), who together battled corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.

Earlier this year, I watched Ron Howard's 2013 drama, Rush, which focused on the rivalry between Formula One drivers, James Hunt and Niki Lauder. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did as, because it focuses on Formula One, I thought I would find it boring. Fortunately, that wasn't the case and, because of its rivalry between the two main characters and thrilling racing sequences, Rush beat my expectations. The same can be said for Le Mans '66, which shares similarities to Rush, including themes of rivalry, strong performances and the exhilarating racing sequences. 

The story for Le Mans '66 focuses on the Ford Motor Company hiring Shelby and Miles to build a car that could beat Ferrari at the 24 Hours race in Le Mans. Because I'm in my early twenties, I wasn't aware of this event and found Le Mans '66 to be a mostly unpredictable watch. Those who are more familiar with the race will probably be able to guess how the film ends, however, that doesn't prevent them from enjoying it.

The standout aspect of Le Mans '66 are the performances by Damon and Bale. Like most of his roles, Damon brings a charm and likability to his portrayal of Shelby and he becomes increasingly determined to build a car that will finally beat Ferrari. Earlier this year, Bale impressed with his portrayal of Vice President, Dick Cheney, in Adam McKay's drama, Vice. Because of his weight gain, the actor looked almost unrecognisable. In Le Mans '66, Bale has shed the weight, simply by 'not eating' as he told Damon, and, as Miles, delivers another strong performance. It's hard not to respect Bale's dedication to roles by gaining and losing a lot of weight. Because Le Mans '66 is being released during Oscar season, when Hollywood studios begin releasing films that have potential to be nominated at the Academy Awards, there's a lot of talk surrounding the two lead performances and whether they'll be nominated. While both actors both deliver strong performances and thoroughly deserve to be nominated, I think that it's too early to say. Solid supporting roles come from Tracy Letts as Henry Ford II, Jon Bernthal as the vice president of Ford, Lee Iacocca and Caitriona Balfe as Mile's wife, Mollie.

If Le Mans '66 is likely to be nominated for anything, my guess is the cinematography by Phedon Papamichael. The film is at its best during the racing sequences as it makes it all the more exciting to watch. Le Mans '66 features a lot of close-ups and shots from the driver's point of view to make you feel like you're in the car racing alongside them. I can imagine a lot of viewers will struggle to resist the urge to drive fast on their way home from watching Le Mans '66. The final race is intense as it focuses on the racers driving over a period of twenty-four hours and facing all sorts of weather conditions, including rain, making the race all the more difficult. Because of its exhilarating race sequences and impressive cinematography, Le Mans '66 is definitely worth watching on the big screen.

While Le Mans '66 has received a mostly positive reception, most of the criticism has gone towards its runtime which 152 minutes. Prior to watching Le Mans '66, I was concered about the runtime and worried that it was going to drag at times. Fortunately, this wasn't the case. While 152 minutes may seem long, there's rarely a dull moment to be found as Le Mans '66 keeps its audiences entertained throughout, with interesting characters, thrilling racing sequences and compelling drama. To me, it hardly seemed like over two hours had passed by the time the film ended.

While I knew that Le Mans '66 wasn't going to be a serious drama, I wasn't expecting it to be as funny as it was. There are a lot of amusing scenes, including a fight between Shelby and Miles and Ford's emotional reaction to being driven in the Ford GT40 by Shelby. The humour added to the overall enjoyment of Le Mans '66.
The strength of Le Mans '66 lies in its exhilarating race sequences and the performances by Matt Damon and Christian Bale.
8/10

BATTLE OF THE SEXES REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In the wake of the sexual revolution and the rise of the women's movement, the 1973 tennismatch between women's World #1 Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and ex-men's-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) was billed as the 'Battle of the Sexes' and became one of the most watched televised sports events of all time, reaching 90 million viewers around the world. As the rivalry between King and Riggs kicked into high gear, off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles. The fiercely private King was not only championing for equality, but also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, as her friendship with Marilyn Barnett (Andrea Riseborough) developed. And Riggs, one of the first self-made media-age celebrities, wrestled with his gambling demons, at the expense of his family and wife Priscilla (Elisabeth Shue). Together, Billie and Bobby served up a cultural spectacle that resonated far beyond the tennis court, sparking discussions in bedrooms and boardrooms that continue to reverberate today.

Battle of the Sexes comes from the married filmmaking duo Jonathan Dayton and Valeria Faris who are best known for directing the heartwarming drama, Little Miss Sunshine, which also starred Carell. The pair are known for creating a drama that can be entertaining by adding small bouts of comic relief throughout, however, it still has an emotional touch. The same can be said for Battle of the Sexes. Its tone is lighthearted and is an easy watch. The issues featured, including sexism, are handled with deft assurance. Women's liberation, sexual freedom, equal pay for equal work are all themes that feature heavily within the film. Battle Of The Sexes opens with King demanding why the prize money is eight times less than it is for men to which former tennis player turned advocate, Jack Kramer (Bill Pullman), replies 'it's important that the men get more money' which doesn't make sense. There's a fine line between preaching the gospel and dictating it, however, Dayton and Faris use humour and whimsy like a balm to sooth the serious scenes. Of course, the pair want to send out messages that hit home. They show the characters and their flaws with an even hand. It's the definition of comedy and drama.

The actors are all well chosen, especially Stone and Carell, who, by changing their appearances, resemble the characters they're playing. Stone, in particular, stood out as Billie Jean King as she captures all of her mannerisms and embodies her passion for tennis. However, she soon develops a relationship with her hairdresser, Marilyn (Andrea Riseborough) that she has to hide otherwise it could jeopardise her career. Although she never comes out in the film, at the age of 73, she is now open and honest about her sexuality and is an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. The real King was impressed with Stone's portrayal of her and said that she managed to capture her fierce determination to prove that women deserve equal rights. The relationship with Marilyn is effectively shown and both Stone and Riseborough share a lot of chemistry. Despite the love she has for her female partner, King felt conflicted as she was still married to Larry (Austin Stowell). Despite knowing her affair with Marilyn, Larry remained faithful and supportive of Billie throughout her career. I wouldn't be surprised to see Stone, who earlier this year won her first Academy Award for her performance in La La Land, nominated for an Oscar next year.

Carell's portrayal of Riggs proved to be a challenge, due to the former champions player dying in 1995. His portrayal is similar to that of the Riggs that was shown in the media, a 'male chauvinist pig' as he described himself. While Carell, unsurprisingly, brings comic relief to the role, Riggs is seen as more as an antagonist because of his many sexist remarks. Despite Carell giving one of his best performances yet, Riggs is seen as a caricature. King, on the other hand, is shown as a genuine human being. I think this is due to the writing from Simon Beaufoy. He may have failed at making Riggs a likable character, however, he has written an engaging film that avoids the pitfalls of simplicity. The build up to the big match between King and Riggs is viewed with a wide perspective.

Battle of the Sexes captures the 70s really well through the clothing the characters all wear, the setting and the music. It really made me feel like I was experiencing the 70s, not just seeing it. I think a lot of people who grew up in this era will feel a sense of nostalgia. 

All of the drama involving the character's public and personal lives all leads up to the big tennis match that takes place at the end of the film. Of course, because of the way the characters are portrayed, we want King to win, mainly so that she can finally prove that women are worthy of their rights. For those, like me, who hadn't seen the original match from 1973, will find this scene very intense as I had no idea what the outcome was going to be. Fortunately, the end result was powerful and uplifting.

Overall, Battle of the Sexes is a well-made biopic as it recaptures the titular tennis match really well and it represented Billie Jean King's character in an effective way, making us feel for her. It also shows how hard women had to work to prove themselves worthy and is an important film that needs to be seen, especially by those who still think women don't deserve equal rights.

8/10