Ferrari movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Ferrari

This stylish biopic is now playing in theaters.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 2 hours 10 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: A-

IN A NUTSHELL:

The film was directed by Michael Mann, who also co-produced it with over 3 dozen other people, including Adam Driver. It has been a passion project of the director ever since he started talking about over 20 years ago. This is Mann’s first film in 8 years. Screenwriting credits go to Troy Kennedy Martin and Brock Yates.

The movie is set in 1957 in Italy when Enzo Ferrari’s auto empire and personal life were in crisis. Ferrari was a famous racer who became an entrepreneur who pushed himself and his drivers to the dangerous edge as they launched into the Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1000-mile race across the country that killed racers, as well as adults and children watching from the sides. Because of the many deaths, it was the last Mille Miglia.

The movie has already been nominated 11 times for various awards, winning 2 of them by the Gotham Awards: one for the director for “Icon and Creator Tribute for Innovation” and one for Penelope Cruz for “Outstanding Supporting Performance.” The National Board of Review awarded it “2023 Winner Top Films”. Congrats to all!

THINGS I LIKED:

I adore Adam Driver and became a huge fan after his jaw-dropping performance in Marriage Story which earned him an Oscar nomination. I almost didn’t recognize him with his grey hair in this role as Enzo Ferrari. He’s fantastic, of course.
Another standout is the beautiful Penelope Cruz, who gives a powerful performance. She’s sure to earn an Oscar nomination for her role in this.
The rest of the terrific cast includes Patrick Dempsey, Shailene Woodley, Jack O’Connell, and Gabriel Leone.
We get to visit Italy! My husband and I love Italy so much that we remodeled our home to capture the charming, elegant look.
The racing scenes are tense and well done. Kudos to the stunt team.
Excellent production and set design.
The replicas of the racecars are very impressive!
Beautiful cinematography by Erik Messerschmidt.
The film focuses on one year of Enzo’s life that was especially challenging and heart-wrenching. Because of that, there is far less racing than you assumed there would be.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Some of the accents are not very good and even distracting at times.
Adam Driver didn’t get to drive any of the original race cars for insurance reasons. We need to keep him safe! Patrick Dempsey, however, got to drive a replica. Dempsey has actually competed in quite a few competitions in real life, including at Daytona.
I admit I was bored a few times.
Some scenes drag on much longer than necessary. The dramatic scenes weigh down the fast-paced race scenes.
If you’re worried that the majority of the film will just be racing scenes, you’ll be happy to know that there is a lot more going on in this film. On the other hand, if you’re hoping for lots of thrilling action, you’ll probably be annoyed by all of the drama.
Some of the racing scenes are at night, which will make viewing the dark screen difficult on small devices once this film goes to streaming.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be bored.
Profanity and multiple F-bombs
We see crashes, with drivers and observers killed in brutal, bloody ways
We see the full backside of a naked man running into bed.
Several scenes show the start of “intimate relations”

THEMES:

Ambition
Racing
Love and loss
Danger
Infidelity
Family and heirs
Women’s influence
Investing in business
The power of the press

FUNNY LINES:

“When we lose, you’re a lynch mob. It’s enough to make the Pope weep.” – Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver)
“Laura, what do you want me to say? ‘Mr. Ford, we have a deal, but first, I must wait until I ask my wife for permission’?” – Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) “Yes, you can say that.” – Laura Ferrari (Penelope Cruz)

INTERESTING LINES:

“This is God’s way of punishing us.” – Laura Ferrari (Penelope Cruz)
“Two objects cannot occupy the same point in space at the same moment in time. The corner races at you. You have, perhaps, a crisis of identity. Am I a sportsman or a competitor?” – Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver)
“If you get into one of my cars, you get in to win.” – Enzo Ferrari Ferrari (Adam Driver)
“We all know it’s our deadly passion, our terrible joy.” – Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver)