A One Mann’s Movies review of “Ferrari” (2023).
This was my last cinema trip in 2023. Given the ‘ho-hum’ reviews about Uncle Michael’s new film*, I was in a bit of trepidation about going to see “Ferrari”. But I actually found it a really solid watch. It’s a bit like John Frankenheimer’s motor-racing epic “Grand Prix” from 1966…. a bit of action mixed with some heavy doses of melodrama. But here, I thought Michael Mann manages to deliver both elements with some class.
* Lies, pure lies. We share a surname but not, no my knowledge, any DNA.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
It’s 1958. Enzo Ferrari leads a complex life. On the one hand he has Laura (Penélope Cruz), a difficult wife and business partner, desperately grieving the loss of their only son just the year before. On the other hand, he has a mistress Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley) with a son that Laura knows nothing about. All of this is happening against a backdrop of a company in financial trouble that needs a big motor-racing success to put them on the corporate map. And the Mille Miglia is fast approaching.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong injury detail, language, brief sex”).
Talent:
Starring: Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Gabriel Leone.
Directed by: Michael Mann.
Written by: Troy Kennedy Martin & Brock Yates.
Twitter Handle: #FerrariMovie.
Running Time: 2h 4m.
Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver), neatly sliding aside the arse of Linda Christian (Sarah Gadon) so it doesn’ obscure the Ferrari logo! With Linda’s boyfriend, Alfonso De Portago (Gabriel Leone) (Source: Neon).
“Ferrari” Review:
Positives:
- Provided you go into this not expecting the all-out racing adrenaline rush of films like “Rush” or “Le Mans ’66” then you are in for a treat of a drama. Michael Mann is a master film-maker and some of the blocking of the shots I found to be magical. One, where Shailene Woodley is speaking with Adam Driver, with both of their profiles in exact alignment, is simply magical.
- All of the performances are good, but Penélope Cruz is just spectacular. A fiery ball of grief and rage that feels like it is about to explode. There’s a wonderful scene in the crypt where she is smiling at the picture of her dead son which then steadily crumples into grief. If she is nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, and I feel she should be, then THIS should be her Oscar reel moment,
- Although only coming in short bursts, the motor-racing scenes are exciting and well-filmed by cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt. The filming was presumably often filmed by drones which are desperately trying to keep pace with their targets!
- There’s a particular moment of high drama during a crash scene. As the scene is approaching (we see a young Italian family with two children eating dinner) your mind plots out what is going to happen and why. But you are not prepared for what follows and it cements itself as one of the visual standout shock moments of 2023. (This is despite me initially going “oof, really” at the rather tacky quality of the special effects for that start of that scene in the trailer.)
Negatives:
- I personally found some of the Italian accents a bit difficult to deciper. Some sequences of dialogue were muttered and pretty unintelligible. It perhaps needs a watch with subtitles!
- Why did they all have red cars? This makes the battle between Ferrari and Maserati a bit difficult to follow in the Mille Miglia race. (And yes, I can hardly argue this as a negative of the film when it is historically accurate!)
- Again, probably reflecting historical fact, but it is a bit difficult to really like Enzo Ferrari as a character: a serial womaniser and hard-hearted businessman. Together with the themes of grief, It makes the film feel a bit cold and aloof.
Exciting racing scenes, shot by Erik Messerschmidt behind the camera. (Source: Neon).
Summary Thoughts on “Ferrari”
From all the previous reviews and comments I’d glimpsed, I thought this would be ‘ho-hum’ at best. But I found it to be a solid and well-made biopic that I would definitely like to give a second watch.
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Trailer for “Ferrari”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERIBTIlVVJQ .
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