Ferrari

UK Release Date. 26 December 2023
Certification. 15
Running Time. 2 hours 10 mins
Director. Michael Mann
Cast. Penélope Cruz, Patrick Dempsey, Adam Driver, Gabriel Leone, Shailene Woodley.

Rating. 78%

Review.

A couple of days after enduring Maestro, I watched Ferrari at The Glasgow Film Theatre. Two biopics with two sets of talented actors portraying husband and wife pairings. But whereas Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan and Maestro are tipped for Academy Award recognition, the same recognition does not appear likely for Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz or Ferrari. I don't know why, Ferrari is an infinitely more enjoyable, and equally impressive, film.

The story unfolds over a period of three months in 1957, at which point it would appear Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) is up against the ropes in almost every way imaginable. To the outside world, Ferrari is a giant - the man who created the most beautiful cars in the world and used them to redefine Italy in the aftermath of World War II. However, it turns out that everything in Enzo Ferrari's world is imploding. Competitors, such as Maserati and Jaguar are continually winning prestigious races and the company is on the brink of financial collapse.

The chaotic state of Ferrari's business affairs is indelibly linked to the turmoil of his personal life. The film takes place one year after the death of Ferrari's son, Dino (who succumbed to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy) and the tragedy has destroyed his relationship with his wife, Laura (Penélope Cruz). Amidst the marital discord, Laura tolerates her husband's infidelity, however far from playing the field, Ferrari has a mistress, Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley), as well as a 12-year old son, Piero (Giuseppe Festinese). 

Adam Driver and Penélope Cruz deserve immense credit for their performances. Adam Driver, thick round the waist and with slick-back greying hair, plays Enzo Ferrari as a tightly controlled force of nature with a myopic focus and a permanent Machiavellian scowl. Equally, Cruz is terrific as Ferrari's permanently furious wife, Laura. A strident turn, she stomps through the film with handbag stuffed full of cash and long-nurtured grudges. 

With Ferrari Michael Mann has produced a stylish period drama in which the screen is filled with snappily dressed characters, picturesque locations and, inevitably, gleaming, lipstick-red vintage cars. Even for those uninterested in motor sports, there is no denying the beauty of the seductively curvaceous, Rosso corsa machines. And the staging of the Mille Miglia - a 1,000-mile, cross-country odyssey though the Italian countryside - is quite simply breathtaking, even for those unaware of the significance of the race in Ferrari's history. However, the outcome of the Mille Miglia is diminished by a lack of characterisation of Ferrari's new driver, Alfonso de Portago (Gabriel Leone) and his Scuderia teammates including Piero Tariff (Patrick Dempsey) and Peter Collins (Jack O'Connell). The drivers are reduced to two-dimensional sketches making it difficult to invest in the outcome of the race.

But Ferrari is another film that would have easily made My Top 10 Films Of 2023 list had I seen the film in the final week of the year.