Fast cars, men covered in smudges of grease and irrational arguments – no, this is not another Fast and Furious instalment. What it is though is a story every motor enthusiast has ever wanted scre-ened; one that even us mere laypeople will enjoy.

The year was 1960 when motorcars had only recently become a lucrative business. And racing cars? Well, they were all the rage. James Mangold’s new bio-graphical film is loosely based on the fabled 1960s face-off between two companies. Ford v Ferrari takes the straightforward ideology of car racing – where the winner is whoever is the fastest – and simply lays out the egotism and greed required to gain such a triumph. Of course, various factual events have been changed to enhance the drama. The storyline is simple but nonetheless satisfying with the usual us versus them narrative giving viewers a sense of belonging. The narration takes Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) entering into a racing rivalry with Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone) that rounded off in showdowns at the 1965 and 1966 Le Mans race.

Faced with the enormous pressure of competing against longstanding winner Ferrari, Ford tasks executives Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) and Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas) to hire former Le Mans winner Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) to design a race car.

Shelby’s team comprises grit and elbow greased men – namely Roy Lunn (JJ Feild), Phil Remington (Ray McKinnon) and the brilliant but slightly ‘difficult’ British driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale). Miles’ peevishness and anti-team attitude earn him Beebe’s wrath, and he persuades Ford to limit Miles’ involvement to development and test driving. Of course, this being a sports movie, we know that’s not how things are going to end…

If we break apart the movie’s award-winning cast, there’s one thing in particular we need to applaud – Christian Bale’s performance as Ken Miles. An actor known to take a toll on his mental and physical being for any role he portrays, Bale’s method acting is spot on. The cheery British accent – though a tad too ‘pip-pip, cheerio!’ – can be overlooked when the camera manages to capture those fleeting emotions that make you feel like you’re looking into the dull green eyes of the real Ken Miles. Matt Damon’s gum chewing Texan through and through act too is one for the books! And together, their chemistry is solid – and is an effective meshing of oil and vinegar. Damon is suave, smart and knows just the right things to say, while Bale though not brooding is angry and intense.

The best scene featuring the two of them occurs when they engage in a fistfight outside Miles’ home while his unconcerned wife Mollie (Caitriona Balfe), pulls up a chair to spectate. It’s one of a number of comedy-tinged scenes. Although Mangold winnows the expected tension from the racing scenes, he’s not above going for the funny bone. Witness what happens when Shelby takes Mr. Ford for a little ride. Tracy Letts’ reaction, now that’s priceless!

All in all, the motor mafia themed movie is something you’d enjoy. And if there was something I didn’t like, it would be that the movie could use a trim; the clash between our dynamic heroes and the stiff suits in the boardroom doesn’t need to be hammered so close to home.