The Emperor Napoleon. Bernstein, Leonard. Jolly Willy. By the end of 2023, there will be a ton of Guy Movie Heroes, like Aquaman. Another one zooms up even further in “Ferrari.”
Director Michael Mann has once again shone his chic spotlight on Enzo Ferrari, another uber-masculine guy who is stoic, clever, and shattered. The film is set in the tumultuous months of 1957, when the personal and professional lives of the Italian automaker were on the verge of collapsing.
It’s a good car, but you won’t be impressed by it.
Adam Driver does a fantastic job portraying Ferrari in “Ferrari,” looking twenty years older with gray around his temples, sunglasses on his head at all times, and a chilly manner.
Ferrari finds himself at a crossroads when we meet him. The business that he and his wife, Laura, have rebuilt from the wreckage of the world war, is in danger of going bankrupt unless he increases production and sells hundreds of automobiles annually.
While Laura is still grieving the loss of her kid to muscular dystrophy, Enzo is unaware that Mr. Ferrari has another family: a girlfriend (Shailene Woodley, excellent but incorrect in this case) who gave birth to a son in secret.
Penélope Cruz portrays Laura, a character whose grief is palpable, as evidenced by her heavy eyes, sluggish pace, and probably overacting. Although Laura is aware that her husband is a jerk, he is required to get home before the maid brings the coffee in the morning. It serves as a reminder that objects’ surfaces matter.
Ferrari’s personal and professional lives will finally collide over the outcome of the dangerous Mille Miglia, a 1,000-mile race across Italy. If Ferrari performs well and humiliates rival Maserati, he will be able to fulfill orders and everything will be great. Disastro if not.
The majority of Mann’s toolkit is present, including the vehicle porn from “Miami Vice,” evocative and somber camerawork, and heightened musical elements. However, “Ferrari” falls flat, even with Mann’s heavy reliance on Italian opera. No matter how loudly the volume is turned up, a scene where drivers speed through a track while high mass is broken apart doesn’t work.
We never truly care about the five drivers Ferrari has sent out to represent the brand; instead, he is lost in the second half, standing on the sidelines and giving orders. The movie has an odd section on distance, and viewers may struggle to locate heart in the chilly elegance.
Driver does his hardest as an actor to bring out the tenderness within Ferrari, who appears most exposed when he is by himself in his son’s grave. He yells phrases like “I must have total control” and “deadly passion” at his drivers outside.
