Ferrari

Starring: Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Gabriel Leone, Michele Savoia, Sarah Gadon, Jack O'Connell, Patrick Dempsey, Erik Haugen, Ben Collins
Directed by: Michael Mann
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Sport
2023

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) works to hold his professional and personal life together, while he prepares his company to win a 1,000 mile race.

Review:

Tim: After learning a bit about Ferrari in 2019's excellent Ford vs. Ferrari, I was excited to dive deeper into the company and Enzo with this film. The movie I just mentioned is probably an unflattering comparison for this one. Ferrari certainly has some strong moments and it's a movie I generally enjoyed- however, it's missing any kind of real spark. This feels like a fairly straightforward biopic that moves a bit too slow and pulls too many of its punches. Michael Mann can be a bit of a polarizing director and while his best films are outstanding, this one feels more middle-of-the-pack. It's a good film, but one that doesn't feel fully realized.

Part of my issue with this film is that Enzo Ferrari never comes across as all that enthralling. Sure, he's a cocky Italian car manufacturer who has to balance relationships with his estranged wife and business partner, with those of his mistress and their child. He's doing this while his company is in financial crisis and potentially could face a doomsday scenario. To get him out of this pickle, he is determined to build the team of the best drivers to fully leverage the power of his cars to win the famous Mille Miglia, a 1,000-mile endurance race. Reading all that, how can you not get excited about this film? That's a lot of drama for one 1957 summer! The reality, though, is that Mann seems to take a meandering path to tell this story. Oh sure, there's some fireworks and memorable sequences, but there's a lot of downtime. There's a lot of filler disguised as character development. 2 hours and 10 minutes might have been the right length for this film, but the way the story is told, it feels too long, too involved. The film can be a slog at times, especially in the middle. We see all these things and people, but it's hard to feel an emotional connection to Enzo. It seems like a lot of his problems are his own doing and he doesn't seem to be a very introspective character. He doesn't look inward for answers, he buckles down, moves forward and tries to control his own destiny. I'm not even sure the movie has much of an opinion on what it thinks about Enzo. There's few life lessons to be gleaned from this rich, arrogant businessman.

Adam Driver gives a strong performance as Enzo, as you might expect. Driver is undoubtedly one of the most talented actors working today and I don't think he gets enough credit for the range of different roles he plays. He seems to disappear into them and gives impressive performance after impressive performance. That being said, this one felt far too close to House of Gucci, a film I did not like. Mann's movie is better than that overrated one, but it's hard to watch Driver here and not remember that similar role. Still, Driver gives a great performance and that should be celebrated. I did love seeing Penelope Cruz here- this isn't a glamorous role, but it's a chance for her to showcase her talent. I think Cruz is often overlooked when you think of really talented actresses (I recognize I'm guilty of this slight). This is the kind of performance that reminds you just how incredible she can be. Her fiery performance ensures her scenes are among the film's best. I also enjoyed seeing Shailene Woodley here. I like Woodley, although I can't always claim she's the best actress. Her performance feels a bit limited and it pales in comparison to Driver and Cruz. She feels a bit out of place. That being said, the energy she brings, the calmness, was the perfect contrast to Cruz and it plays well opposite Driver. I enjoyed her in this film, even though occasionally she doesn't quite hit the right notes. The rest of the cast is fairly strong. I did love seeing Patrick Dempsey here, although he's given so little to actually do.

As a whole, I felt blase about the story of Enzo Ferrari. I learned a bit about the man, but I didn't connect with him as a fellow human being, I felt too little empathy for him and his plight. His story is interesting, but not as compelling as it needed to be. The best scenes of the film involve the endurance racing. You can tell Mann loved these sequences- they're beautifully filmed and are the most excited, engaged, and thrilling sequences of the film. Better racing scenes have been filmed, but they offer such a contrast to the drama that it's impossible not to get amped up watching them. There's a few crashes that are stunningly well realized and make you gasp as you watch. These come late in the film, but they're reminders of how effective Mann can be. I really enjoyed those scenes and believe they're really the standouts of the film. I liked this movie, in large part to how those sequences were crafted.

I do think Ferrari is a good movie, although it definitely has flaws. It's never as interesting or engaging as it needed to be. It's cold and keeps the audience at an emotional distance. However, the racing sequences are fantastic. I think a good summary of this film is that Mann assembled an impressive cast to tell a dramatic true story and this film wasn't nominated for a single Academy Award. None. It was nominated for 1 BAFTA, for Best Sound (by the way, right on- the sound was stunning). That isn't an oversight. This is a good film, but it's 1,000 miles of endurance racing away from being great.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: House of Gucci, Ford vs. Ferrari, Public Enemies