A biopic of automotive mogul Enzo Ferrari, whose family redefined the idea of the high-powered Italian sports car and practically spawned the concept of Formula One racing.
There’s no getting around the fact that the first hour of director Michael Mann‘s “Ferrari” is rough. The pacing is sluggish and there isn’t much story, which makes it a tedious exercise. You’d expect a film that features the history behind one of the world’s most recognized luxury car companies, helmed by a legendary director and featuring a talented cast of big name actors, would be entertaining instead of painfully dull. The problem is that Mann is trying to tell too many stories here, and none of them are particularly interesting or good.
Set during the summer of 1957, the film tells the story of the iconic car company built by Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) and his wife, Laura (Penélope Cruz). When we meet them, bankruptcy seems imminent, which is causing an even greater strain on their already tumultuous marriage. There’s the not-so-secret lover Lina (Shailene Woodley) and a relationship that’s produced a son, leading to more unrest between Laura and Enzo after the death of their only child. Despite personal problems and in a bid to save the company, Enzo decides to bet it all on a treacherous 1,000 mile race across Italy, the Mille Miglia.
The story is disjointed, and audiences expecting spectacular auto races are going to leave disappointed. There are some thrilling scenes of course, including a shocking jolt towards the end of the film that changes the tone dramatically. The marital discord that consumes the majority of the movie is laborious, though, and there are too many droll scenes of men talking about car performance.
The pacing has problems, and the story drags as a result. It’s clunky and awkward in a way that flounders, but the things that work, work well. Cruz and Driver are nothing short of excellent. Woodley is miscast as Enzo’s mistress, and most of the cast’s performances are buried under lousy Italian accents. The highlight is Cruz, who steals every single scene she’s in like a powerful tornado. Give me a movie about Laura Ferrari all day, every day.
The film turns into one that warns about the dangers of the sport of racing, and it has Mann’s signature style all over it. The 80-year-old filmmaker shows that he’s still in strong command of his chosen craft. You won’t forget you’re watching a Mann film, so if his directorial style is something you’re drawn to, this will prove to be appealing.
There are a lot of things to like about “Ferrari” despite some serious storytelling problems, but this complex biopic just isn’t entertaining enough to highly recommend.
