Directed by:
Michael MannScreenplay:
Troy Kennedy-MartinCinematography:
Erik MesserschmidtComposer:
Daniel PembertonCast:
Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Gabriel Leone, Sarah Gadon, Alessandro Cremona, Jack O'Connell, Patrick Dempsey, Daniela Piperno, Lino Musella (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
During the summer of 1957, bankruptcy looms over the company that Enzo Ferrari and his wife built 10 years earlier. He decides to roll the dice and wager it all on the iconic Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy. (Roadshow Films)
Reviews (10)
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.
()
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.
()
The omission of Penélope Cruz in the Oscar nominations is completely incomprehensible to me. Adam Driver is fine here, he doesn't try to overact with "Italian-style" expressionism, even in tense scenes his acting is nicely decent, and I even believed that grey hairpiece on his head, but the main star for me is Penélope. Not the cars, about which I know nothing, not the races, but this woman, tormented by emotions and doubts, fights an internal battle throughout the film, only to capitulate at the end, because the family business is above all. And related to this is Michael Mann's intention, he doesn’t try to approach Enzo Ferrari's life with some boring biographical description and ticking off the years, but to bring the marital discord of a prominent family to life in a short period of time. And the races are just a nice addition, though the production is nicely polished and the cinematography nicely dramatic. I'd have perhaps only two criticisms, I don’t think it’s necessary in a non-English speaking setting to adapt the English of the actors into some sort of accented pidgin, as happens here, and I would have preferred not to see those CGI cars flying through the air in such a nicely old-fashioned film.
()
Enzo Ferrari teaches his son that when things work well, they are pleasing to the eye. Michael Mann follows the same maxim. Ferrari, another of his portraits of an obstinate professional in an existential crisis, is a joy to watch thanks to its narrative cohesiveness and the fact that it rhythmically fires on all cylinders. During practically every shot in the exposition, we learn some important information that will be put to good use later in the film. At the same time, the exposition introduces the governing stylistic technique consisting in the use of duality and contrasts (e.g. light scenes with Enzo’s mistress vs. dark scenes with his wife). Slower scenes regularly alternate with faster ones, movement alternates with motionlessness and the melodramatic (and utterly operatic in one scene) exaggeration of certain emotions, particularly sorrow, which both spouses deal with, each in their own way. Mann follows the example of classic Hollywood directors like Hawks and Sirk and lets the mise-en-scéne tell much more of the story than other contemporary directors would allow. At the same time, he defies the conventions of classic biographical dramas as he focuses only on a brief period of Ferrari’s life and, instead of creating artificial conflicts, he superbly dramatises everyday encounters and ordinary business operations (paying wages, signing documents, concluding agreements with investors). This feel for detail also contributes to the believability of the fictional world. Ferrari’s work always clashes – either constructively or destructively – with his personal life (Ferrari finds common ground with his son thanks to his work, but he also loses his wife because of it). The lion’s share of emotion and excitement is typically found in the cinematically brilliant scenes of races, which represent Ferrari’s greatest passion. Unlike other sports movies, however, such scenes do not bring catharsis, but rather recall the fragility of life (thanks in part to the excellent sound design, the race cars of the time really do not seem safe) and recognition of the fact that however hard you try to have everything under control, certain events cannot be foreseen and you ultimately have no choice but to accept them and somehow incorporate them into your life story. 90%
()
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.
()
Michael Mann returns after a long time with the stiffing biopic Ferrari, and it's fine, although more was expected. It seems to me that all the big directors, except for Nolan, have disappointed and failed to fully realize their potential this year. Those who expect another Ford vs Ferrari, Rush, or Gran Turismo from Ferrari will be slightly disappointed because the you won't get to enjoy many races. Even the final race lacks drive, tension, and atmosphere. Mainly, I didn't understand the rules, so it doesn't give you proper satisfaction, and the fact that the racers themselves are uninteresting and the rivalry with Maserati could and should have been tangible and impactful is also to blame, but when I consider that Michael Mann mainly wanted to shoot a film about Enzo Ferrari and his personal life and problems, and the race itself is just there, so to speak, I'm fine with it. Because when it comes to acting, it's top-notch quality. Adam Driver is excellent, I liked the dialogues and his performance, he's just an interesting personality. Penelope Cruz also skillfully supports him, portraying a pissed-off woman perfectly. These interactions between them are nicely intense. The retro visuals and the atmosphere of post-war Italy are also well done. Surprisingly, Mann manages to keep the viewer's attention and I wasn't bored, which is rare for these kinds of films. In conclusion, I have to highlight one shocking scene that shook every viewer in the audience! There is one uncompromising and brutal scene that even includes gore! Severed limbs, intestines, split bodies, I really didn't expect that in such a film, so a big PLUS! If Mann had captivated me with the final race and there had been a business meeting with Fiat, which seemed attractive (too bad there wasn't enough time for it), maybe I would consider giving it a full rating, but like this, it has to settle for a pleasant four out of five. 75%
()
I’m not sure if Michael Mann intended for the thunderous roar of engines during the Messerschmitt flybys to fall short in appeal compared to the female element processing the sage from Maranella with force, pain, and anger. That the performance and graceful curves of the red beauties he’s been dreaming of for decades wouldn’t be enough to compete with the horsepower of Madrid’s stinger. The detached Driver is just as good. When it comes to racing cars, the Commendatore is merely a colleague in both homes, still with much to learn.
()
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.
()
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.
()
After many years, Michael Mann has fulfilled his dream and he does so with honour. But I can't help feeling that if he had taken the time to make it in his golden era in the 1990s, the result would have been much more daring. After all, this film about the fastest cars of its time doesn't exactly pull off the double whammy, surprisingly, especially on the track. As far as the Italian household of Ferrari is concerned, it's two gears better there thanks to the diabolical Penélope Cruz. Outside of the domestic tussle, however, on a comparable budget to the 4-year-old Ford vs Ferrari, Ferrari alone delivers considerably less value in terms of scale, suspense and action (the outlined rivalry with Maserati is just worthy of this bracket). Yes, the Millie Miglia was a completely different motorsport event from Le Mans, but the drama is always created by the racers themselves anyway, andin Mann's rendition they are bland. A great shame given the otherwise historically turbulent development of this race.
()
Ads