Ferrari

Michael Mann chose to film a period in Enzo's life that would have made most people into quivering, weeping wrecks in bed. He starts by outlining a relationship situation, a value scale, and lets someone die. Masterful exposition with an absolutely spot-on Adam Driver and a terrifying Penélope Cruz. A story strong in detail. A harrowing family drama of a disaster-stricken factory worker, interspersed with an equally gripping racing inferno that, if you don't know what was going on in the Mille Miglia at the time, will chew you up with a minor detour into the life of an Italian family. Erik Messerschmidt pulls you right in between the roaring cars, Mann also keeps an eye on the sound so the engines roar and the sheet metal squeals like a cowpoke. Add to this Enzo's brilliant tactics – lying and twisting reality, tailor-made for each of the racers. The attention to detail shows the strength of Mann's filmmaking, and I hope we won't have to wait as long as we did for Ferrari for another such tidbit. (01/08/2024)

Great film, exactly the kind of biopic I like - they pick out one important chapter in the life of a particular person, and when well written and filmed, they manage to say everything that matters. From that perspective, though, Ferrari is a bit more cunning. It may be about Enzo or Piero, it may be about both at the same time, but it’s most likely about the name Ferrari and its bearers and wearers. Michael Mann has it down to a tee, from the opening black and white scene with the eye-popping rear projection, to the quiet and loud dialogue and the amazing theatre scene, to the racing sequences with the camera damn low to the road, and the crash scenes (the ugly visual effects in the trailer is thankfully not so ugly  in the cinema). Still, it's not the roaring engines that propel Ferrari forward, but the brilliant performances of Adam Driver, who is once again someone else entirely and can steal any scene, the vivacious Penélope Cruz and her perfect counterpart Shailene Woodley. Daniel Pemberton's stamping music and the beautiful cinematography complete the experience and enhance it. Once again, a true big screen film. (01/06/2024)

The opposite of Le Mans in many ways. In terms of time narrative, it is a small, intimate racing film, a study of the tormented genius of Enzo Ferrari from the surprising perspective of a family drama, not a flashy driving symphony of speedsters. It's not that there's no driving, and it even has a nicely retro tone with an extreme dose of realism and physicality (except for those awful digital flying cars), but Enzo's living room, bedroom and office are the primary focus. Michael Mann has made a dream come true, in a largely un-Hollywood, non-mainstream way. It's going to be hard to make a lot of money with this film, but the production values are solid. It's not the genre we're used to with Mann, and some of his traditional trademarks are not and can't be here, but he hasn't disgraced himself. (03/03/2024)

Michael Mann tells the story of one short period in the life of the owner of the famous car company. And unfortunately he tells a story that is not very attractive or engaging. In addition, Adam Driver plays a distant, cold professional who keeps his emotions in check, resulting in a rather dull film. This changes in the last part, when the racing starts and Mann shows that he's still good at directing action, even if he can come across as somewhat old-fashioned. Overall, though, Ferrari is a pretty uninteresting film about people struggling with a personal crisis and a once-in-a-lifetime loss, only that one of them happened to be a car designer. (01/17/2024)

The opening quarter-hour is a masterclass in introducing the central characters and their inner pain, conflicts and life motivations. This is particularly true of the character of Enzo Ferrari, industrialist and engineer, a man of iron and principle with a tattered family life. Adam Driver was born to play this role, and the film’s energy and tone come more from him than from the cars. Daniel Pemberton’s emotionally rich and energetic music, supplemented with vocals in places, give the film spirit. The retro stylisation of both the settings and the other characters is great, and each of the supporting actors has the necessary personality. The apt lines of dialogue make clear both the mortal danger of the race drivers’ passion and the difficult position of Ferrari and his company in the given industry – responsibility for lives not only in the quest for prestige, but also in the principle activity of maintaining the company’s business. (01/07/2024)