I am sure we have all heard of Ferrari. We can picture the red cars. The sounds of the engines. Despite growing up seeing those cars race for the win, I never really paid much attention to their inventor. Nor did I know it was a two-man job between Enzo Ferrari and his wife, Laura Ferrari.
After gracing us with films like Heat (1995) and Collateral (2004), director Michael Mann introduces us to the life of the Ferraris. While the film is mostly centered around Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver), we get to see a good look into the lives of the people surrounding him as well.
The Film is a biopic, though it tries to back away from its clichés. We know very little about Enzo Ferrari’s childhood and dive into the story 10 years after he and Laura Ferrari (Penelope Cruz) built up their business and became well known figures. Nevertheless, the film at its core thematizes the topic of family. Which is why this turned out to be a positive surprise.
Considering this is a movie centered around perhaps the most well-known race cars in the world, one might think the film won’t back away to be exactly that, without deep plot devices or interesting characters. But Michael Mann’s Ferraricares deeply about its source material and the story behind the Ferrari Family.
After seeing films at the Venice Film Festival that offer very poor characterizations of female characters, Mann’s film shines with two very powerful women in the forefront. Penelope Cruz is a force in this. Her scenes, although little, are captivating. She is truly a show stealer, and this may be one of her best performances in a long time.
Shailene Woodley, portraying Enzo Ferrari’s late partner Lina Lardi, gives this dynamic the heart it needs.
And for those expecting to see a car race, ‘Ferrari’ does not disappoint either. A very huge event in this film is the Mille Miglia race, that is known to have a huge tragedy on its way. Although the audience can feel that something is about to go wrong, the tension and the feeling it causes in the end, is something one cannot foresee. The Scenes are graphic and seem rather surreal, which makes the fact that this actually really happened even more tragic. When seeing this at the Palabiennale in Venice with a crowded audience, the room turned completely silent.
The film manages to explore its characters and offers a compelling storyline. However, one aspect deserving critique is the attempt to talk English with an Italian Accent, executed effectively and subtly by Penelope Cruz, but seemed rather distracting with Adam Driver’s role. Despite that, the cast offers stellar performances.
A film worth seeing on the big screen. From us, ‘Ferrari’ will receive 3 ½ of 5 Stars.