Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

Ford Vs. Ferrari

December 9, 2019 By Adnerb Leave a Comment

Apple Rating:

I know absolutely nothing about auto racing, and even less about the famous French 24 Hours of LeMans endurance race.  Did you know that the race is exactly what it says – a 24 hour auto race at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour?  I didn’t know that.  Did you know that a team of two racers take turns driving in four hour shifts?  I didn’t know that either.  This movie was quite an education for me, and it entertained me too!  Ford vs. Ferrari tells the true story of car designer (and one-time racer) Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and his friendship with driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale).  When Ferrari patriarch Enzo Ferrari rejects a deal for a merger with Henry Ford II in an insulting way, Ford decides he is going to win the next LeMans.  Shelby is hired to design and build the car, price is no object, as long as he is willing to listen to a committee of executives that include sympathetic Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) and Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas), who doesn’t like the driver Shelby has hand picked.  Ken Miles is rebellious to say the least and is apt to do or say something that doesn’t reflect the image Ford wants to project (this is the 60’s).  The movie does a really good job of showing the ins and outs of the auto racing industry, as well as the excitement and hazards of racing itself. It also shows the deceit and venality that seem to continue to be a hallmark of how business men conduct themselves. There is some good acting on the parts of Matt Damon and Christian Bale, but all the supporting actors are excellent too.  After you see the movie, google Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles – the movie is really good but still doesn’t do either men full justice.

 

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Filed Under: Biopic Tagged With: Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Josh Lucas, Matt Damon

Wind River

August 21, 2017 By Adnerb Leave a Comment

Apple Rating:

“Wind River” opens with an intense moment: a young girl running barefoot in the bleak Wyoming snow.  During the course of this engaging movie, we find out who she is, where she is, and why she is running.  This is a great crime drama, along the lines of “Hell or High Water”.  Taylor Sheridan wrote  both movies and has tried his hand at directing this one.  What a great job at that!  This is a character driven drama with gut wrenching performances by Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Gil Birmingham, Graham Greene and Jon Bernthal.  Something horrific has happened on the Wind River Reservation and rookie FBI agent Olsen teams with game tracker Renner who is haunted by a past tragedy.  There are no annoying subplots or even periods or comic relief, just a well-told story.  If you liked “Hell or High Water” you are going to enjoy this one too.  Don’t look for a sweet happy ending, as this movie will show us, on the reservation there are no happy endings, only a kind of redemption.  This is a little Indie movie though, so if you want to see it on a big screen (and you really should) HURRY!

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Filed Under: crime, Drama Tagged With: Elizabeth Olsen, Gil Birmingham, Graham Greene, Jeremy Renner, Jon Bernthal

About Adnerb

I'm a middle school teacher and pop-culture lover. I created this blog to give you my take on movies, TV shows, and other things I find interesting.

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