The highly anticipated Michael Mann-directed biopic Ferrari starring Adam Driver had its world premiere on Thursday at the Venice Film Festival, but critical reactions were mixed on the film’s ability to capture the emotional essence of its subject.
While praise was given to the racing sequences and Driver’s committed performance as Enzo Ferrari, some felt the movie lacked an emotional core beyond the flashy exterior. Mann is known for slick, stylish films like Heat, Collateral, and Miami Vice, but critics said his detached style failed to truly humanize the iconic race car driver.
Gorgeous Visuals Can’t Compensate For Hollow Story
The film has been praised for its gorgeous cinematography and vivid period details in recreating the world of Italy in the late 1950s. However, some argue the visual flair is wasted on an emotionally empty story. Time Out said,
“For all its beauty, Ferrari is dramatically flat. We go round and round the track but never truly get inside the man at the heart of this glossy but uninvolving biopic.”
“The family scenes feel perfunctory, while the racing crackles with energy. But the two never mesh into a satisfying whole,” said IndieWire. While the racing scenes were singled out as thrilling highlights, critics felt the personal drama got short shrift.
Michael Mann’s Signature Style Falls Flat
Critics pointed to director Michael Mann’s detached, stylized approach as part of the problem in making the emotional beats land. “While Adam Driver is firing on all cylinders, the film itself lacks emotional horsepower. Mann’s clinical direction keeps us at a distance,” said The Hollywood Reporter’s review.
“Mann’s clinical direction keeps us at an arm’s length distance from the characters. The glossy visuals are stunning but unmoving,” said The Los Angeles Times.
“Mann’s trademark emotional restraint sucks the life out of fiery characters,” bemoaned Slate. Mann’s films are known for stoic, hardened men of few words, but reviews said this style failed to work for the more passionate life story of Enzo Ferrari.
Adam Driver’s Performance Almost Makes Up For The Flaws
While the film itself was criticized for playing as detached and cold, Adam Driver‘s lead performance as Enzo Ferrari was universally praised as a saving grace. Variety wrote,
“Driver is firing on all cylinders even when the emotional engine of the film falters… He finds gravitas and humanity in the steely-eyed Ferrari.”
Though the script doesn’t give him a lot to work with emotionally, Driver brings the inner life that is missing from the page. “Driver makes us feel his frustration and ambition through sheer skill. If only the film rose to meet the actor’s level,” lamented The Guardian.
Overall critical consensus on Ferrari after its splashy Venice premiere seems to be that Michael Mann delivered the slick style audiences expect, but failed to truly humanize the legendary race car figure at the heart of the story. Visually thrilling racing scenes and a commanding performance from Adam Driver almost make up for a hollow emotional core, but the film is likely to leave some fans wanting more.
Source: CINEMABLEND
