Coppola's 'Tucker': The Little Guy vs. The Machine

Okay, so I finally got around to watching Tucker: The Man and His Dream. As you guys know, I'm kinda obsessed with director filmographies, and this is one I'd been meaning to check off Coppola's list. I knew basically nothing going in except that it was about a car and had Jeff Bridges. And honestly? I really enjoyed it. It's got that classic Coppola visual flair, that feeling of almost heightened reality. Like the '40s are seen through a lens of optimistic Americana. The production design is just gorgeous! Jeff Bridges is perfectly cast. He's got that infectious energy and the kind of naive belief that sells you on Tucker as a character. I especially loved the scene where he's pitching the car to potential investors, building the whole thing up with this incredible enthusiasm. You can see why people would buy into his dream, even if it seems kinda crazy. And Martin Landau as Abe Karatz... chefs kiss. He really gives the movie some gravitas. The whole 'David vs. Goliath' thing with the Detroit automakers definitely resonated. You root for Tucker because you know he's screwed from the start. I will say, it felt a little too sanitized. It's very clear this is a pro-Tucker narrative, and I wondered about the real man's flaws that the film glosses over. I mean, I know Coppola had his own struggles with studios, so maybe he identified with Tucker too much? Still, as a visual experience and a story about chasing your dreams against all odds, I thought it was really effective. Definitely fits nicely into Coppola's body of work - a bit of a detour but recognizably his. I think I'd rate this one pretty high in his lineup actually. If you're a Coppola completist like me, or just like fun, visually engaging biopics, this is definitley worth a watch, even if the ending is kinda...well, you know. Anyone else seen it recently? What did you guys make of it?