In recent times, films about Formula 1, Ford, Ferrari, or simply car racing have emerged with greater frequency, but almost all of them are somehow related to the subgenre of biopics. 2023 already holds Air, Tetris, Oppenheimer, and now has Ferrari to add to the list of movies with the mission of telling the story behind the creation and/or the creator(s) of some invention/brand that impacted the history of our world. With Michael Mann (Heat) at the wheel – apologies in advance for the inevitable puns – and Adam Driver (The Last Duel) in the lead role, Enzo Ferrari, here comes one of the most anticipated flicks of the 80th edition of the Venice International Film Festival.

Ferrari Critique

Also Read: Adam Driver’s Ferrari Biopic “Looks Like a James Bond Movie”

Ferrari isn’t the masterwork that a part of me expected, but it’s competent enough to trigger a personal interest beyond the film to the point of researching its protagonist, which I consider an essential objective in this type of narrative. Troy Kennedy Martin’s (Red Dust) screenplay closely follows Enzo’s life, from his own racing days to founding and running the now world-famous car brand, without forgetting the intimate stages of his life, as well as the company’s most defining moments over the first decades.

Obviously, the pre-viewing personal attraction to the sport itself is a somewhat impactful factor in the enjoyment of the movie, so I admit to having started in neutral. As the first act unfolded, it became quite evident that Ferrari was going to be a performance-driven narrative. Driver is, as expected, extremely captivating as a human filled with emotional and business complexities, but it’s Penélope Cruz (L’immensità) as his wife, Laura Ferrari, who steals the spotlight in impressive fashion!

The Spanish actress must carry the heaviest type of grief by having to deal with the death of her only child, as well as the heartache of not being able to save him, and the anguish of living with a husband who knowingly betrays her, in addition to hiding certain expenses with his second family. Cruz is truly mesmerizing, and the most engaging moments of the film are precisely the interactions between Enzo and Laura. Brutally honest, emotionally raw dialogue sucks the air out of the theater, but unfortunately, Ferrari doesn’t seem to know what to focus on.

With multiple storylines running simultaneously, Mann struggles to balance them with the primary character study. Death, especially of those disconnected from the eponymous family, is approached too lightly, even being played for a joke at the beginning of the film, something that didn’t go down well. Even a later tragic sequence is addressed in an extremely abrupt manner as if the lives of these characters – or rather, human beings – were worth less than those of the protagonist and his family.

Ferrari speeds a lot of time, for example, debating a specific topic related to his second child, with another woman, which would hardly have happened in real life with the frequency, importance, and intensity that the movie gives it. Mostly due to the Italian law of the time removing any logical reason for so many theoretically irrelevant discussions. Regardless of this detail, the truth is that it’s a subplot with little interest, serving more as an “excuse” for Driver and Cruz to have another brilliantly choreographed scene together.

That said, Enzo Ferrari is indeed a complex protagonist. He did everything to save his sick son and failed, taking refuge in the love of another woman to help him bear the pain that will never go away, despite never having abandoned the mother of his first heir. All while he was trying to turn his company into the iconic symbol that everyone recognizes today, also dealing with the eminence of death at every turn by his racers. No one denies his flaws and shortcomings, but no human being should ever live with so much death around him…

The racing sequences have their moments of spectacle, despite not reaching the levels of excitement and adrenaline of Ford v Ferrari, Rush, or even the most recent Gran Turismo. Competently shot, although the use of crash dummies for the accidents is way too noticeable. Ferrari is far from a “car flick”, so whoever enters the movie theater expecting an action blockbuster can only blame themselves for wrong expectations. Technically, Erik Messerschmidt’s (Devotion) camera work and Daniel Pemberton’s (Enola Holmes 2) score deserve praise, while the choice of non-Italian actors to portray such famous Italian people is always dubious – accents aren’t the best.

In Conclusion

Ferrari has the potential to be a memorable biopic but lacks a more pondered emotional focus in its performance-driven character study. Adam Driver is excellent, but Penélope Cruz clearly stands out with an emotionally devastating performance. The dialogues between the main couple are the highlights of a globally abrupt film that deals with the death of people outside the family nucleus in a manner that is too fleeting and insignificant, in addition to over-dramatizing a particular subplot. Competent racing sequences. It fulfills the basic purpose of telling the story of a complex man whose life is much sadder than one can imagine.

6/10

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