As the show starts tensions are running high in the city. The Department of Justice has a team of lawyers working in the city in response to the killing of Freddie Gray, a black man who died in police custody on his way to a police station. Following this there were trials of police officers, protests, clashes between police and protestors. An early scene in the show sees several officers trying to arrest people and being filmed by the crowd, eventually the officers just walking away. It seemed many officers were unwilling to get in situations where they could be accused of police brutality.

After some unusual discoveries in a case involving drug dealers, it becomes apparent to some of the city’s police officers that something very odd, and probably criminal, is going on with the Gun Trace Task Force, and they become the target of an investigation.

The Creators

David Simon and George Pelecanos have worked together on numerous tv shows, with Simon being the creator of The Wire and Pelecanos being a producer and writer on it. They both went on to make Treme and The Deuce and have a stellar reputation for intelligent, complex, character-driven tv shows.

Sidenote – David Simon’s Twitter is spectacular. You might think the hugely successful creator of a number of tv shows wouldn’t get in vicious social media knife fights with any random person with eight followers and you’d be wrong.

The Cast

Like The Wire, the show has a very big cast who often fall into different sides: the Gun Trace Task Force, the Baltimore police authorities, the federal investigators conducting a thorough review of the police force, the local political authorities. It’s impossible to get into the entire roster of actors in this article but the main stars are Jon Bernthal playing Wayne Jenkins, head of the Gun Trace Task Force and Wunmi Mosaku as lawyer Nicole Steele. Whilst Jenkins is a real character, Steele is not, and is more an amalgamation of various civil rights lawyers involved in the case. Bernthal is sensational as always – the first episode starts with a blistering lecture/speech by Jenkins on police brutality to other officers, explaining how brutality will cause problems getting convictions, will mean no one in the community will talk to you and mean you get taken off the streets (whilst also insisting on the importance of fighting to keep the streets and not mentioning that police brutality is illegal and wrong).

Mosaku is a lawyer from the Department of Justice, fighting a battle so uphill it’s almost vertical, her working day seems to an endless procession of people telling her terrible things. Mosaku is very good as person who knows the odds of them actually being able to significantly change things are very bad but she will always keep fighting.

The Show

Like all of the shows David Simon has worked on there is a lot going on and the viewer has to work hard to keep up with it. At times you will be lost. Shows like Game of Thrones do a good job of introducing various factions and the background information you need. We Own This City intentionally doesn’t do that, you watch and have to discover, and at some point something mentioned two episodes ago will suddenly make sense.

The show has all the trademarks of a first-rate drama and anyone wanting to see the very best television has to offer should watch We Own This City.

Also Read: Why You Should Be Watching Yellowjackets

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Start your engines!

He was the icon in the racing sport for multiple years and was the inspiration for many younger generations. Sadly, due to health reasons, Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) his days as a racecar driver are now over. Instead, he’s spending most of his time as the owner of Shelby American Inc., designing and selling cars. However, he still has a big passion for the racing tracks. He’s not the only one as his best friend, auto mechanic and driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) his world is full of fast cars and perfect laps as well. After losing his auto mechanic shop and needing the money, Miles would do anything to be able to provide his wife Mollie (Caitriona Balfe) and son Peter (Noah Jupe) with the best care possible. No better way to do that than with car racing, right?

That’s exactly what he wants and that exactly what he gets when Shelby comes to him with a very unusual but alluring proposition. Shelby was approached by Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) to take on Ferrari during Le Mans ’66. He wants his best friend Miles behind the wheel. After being reluctant about the job, both men want to take Ford to the start of one of the biggest racing events: The 24 Hours of Le Mans.

However, there are many bumps along the way. The main one is Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas), the right hand of Ford, who sees everything from the advertisement side and who prefers charisma and style above passion and knowledge. There are also the expected technical issues such as not working breaks and cars not being ready. Will Shelby and Miles be able to bring Ford to the start of Le Mans ’66 and provide him with a huge victory or will Ferrari make it happen again and be the one taking a victory lap?

Passion and skills drive this movie

Not so long, Bale (Vice, The Fighter) revealed that he’s done with undergoing dramatical weight transition but to play Miles, he has outdone himself again. Not only with the psychical metamorphosis but also by nailing the American accent. His excellent performance shows us the determination and passion of Miles. Bale does it with flair and joy and it’s such a pleasure to watch. Opposite him, we see the superb Damon (Suburbicon, Downsizing) as Shelby. He puts on a brilliant display as the resolute car designer who fights for what and who he believes in. The scenes between Bale and Damon are where the magic happens.

Due to the grandiose presence of the characters and the dazzling performances of Bale and Damon, there’s not much space for the supporting cast. That’s a shame if you can count on wonderful actors such as Jupe (A Quiet Place, Wonder), Balfe (Money Monster, Now You See Me), and Jon Bernthal (The Peanut Butter Falcon, Widows). The first two bring more emotions to this movie but to be able to have a lasting impact, their screen time is just too limited. Bernthal his Lee Iacocca is the head of the marketing team and while Bernthal’s performance is fine and enjoyable, he doesn’t get the chance to shine.

In high speed and incredibly entertaining film, there are some special effects used. In Le Mans ’66 it’s not clear where the real-life driving and incredible stunts made room for the SFX effects. Thanks to cinematographer Phedon Papamichael (The Huntsman: Winter’s War, The Monuments Men), we feel like we’re with Miles, driving in speed record away from the competition. However, the element that enhanced the car race experience is without a doubt the stunning sound design. That roaring sound of the engines gives this film the vibrant and compelling element it needs.

Racing towards the Oscars

This film shows a lot of passion and craftsmanship, both behind and in front of the screen. The fuel that drives this movie is the humour, sound design, and the incredible stunt driving. With Matt Damon and Christian Bale in the driver’s seat, this movie races in a lap record towards the multiple awards waiting at the finish line. You should catch this movie on the biggest screen and with the best sound system possible.

Rating: (4 / 5)

Also Read: Little Monsters (Review)

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