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Join UsStar Cast: Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Patrick Dempsey, Jack O’Connell, and Sarah Gadon
Director: Michael Mann
What’s Good: The cast races are exciting and brutal, and going behind the scenes of the Ferrari business is quite interesting.
What’s Bad: The non-Italian actors feel out of place, especially regarding their fake accents, which sadly hurt their performances.
Loo Break: The movie’s start is chaotic and all over the place, so you could go to the loo during it and not miss much.
Watch or Not?: Watch if you are in for the car races or are a Ferrari fan; if not, there are better options.
Language: English (with subtitles).
Available On: Cinemas
Runtime: 130 Minutes.
User Rating:
The name Ferrari is synonymous with quality and speed, but there was a time when this was not the case, so director Michael Mann decided to do a biopic focusing on the man who brought his name to the front and made it famous. Ferrari focuses on the life of Enzo Ferrari as he tries to build a brand in the car industry, as well as dealing with his issues involving the woman he loves and some unexpected arrivals.
Ferrari Movie Review: Script Analysis
Ferrari is a weird movie; the film divides its focus between the fascinating business decisions that took the name Ferrari to the next level and the family drama that seems to be coming out of a soap opera. Both angles are significant for the story that the film is trying to convey. Still, sadly, the execution of the movie leaves some things to be desired, especially when it comes to the many developments that should have been more on the main stage during the film, which feels scattered throughout.
Thankfully, while it is true that this might not be a film that is bigger than the sum of its parts, some parts are essentially very well done and make the movie worth watching. Everything about the car business, car racing, and the development of these machines is fascinating. Mann knows this is the film’s most vital element and dedicates enough time. The sound design makes these scenes pop up, and hearing the sound of the engines through a nice set of speakers is lovely.
On the other hand, the family drama feels more generic, but this is the case because Enzo’s situations at home are very much what every man of his time, and even today, has to face while living. These situations might ring true for many, but they could be more exciting and worth spending more time in. Still, the movie makes parts of these events the film’s main focus, which is natural because, in this way, Enzo can be more than just a force of nature; he can also be vulnerable.
The imbalance between these two parts creates the bad pacing that plagues the movie. In the beginning, the film doesn’t know where to begin this story, and it is not, but after the second half, when both the characters and the story are established, the film begins to feel like it is going somewhere. However, with a movie this long, reaching that point when the movie gets good might be too late for some audience members.
Ferrari Movie Review: Star Performance
The different angles that the movie tries to work out create an imbalance; we know that, but the acting feels off throughout the entire film. One of the first things that will take you out of the movie is not Adam Driver’s ridiculous make-up, but the accent, and then you discover that this is not only about Driver but about every single non-Italian actor in the film, which strangely play the roles of all main characters.
Driver, Cruz, and Woodley all feel incredibly miscast, and when surrounded by the Italian actors who play all the minor roles in the movie, the illusion breaks, and you can tell that these people do not belong there. You might get used to the performances as I did after the halfway mark, but the versions never go to the place where you can see the actors disappearing in their roles. Maybe casting genuine Italian actresses around Driver would have been a better choice if, as we suspect, Driver’s involvement had made the film possible in the first place.
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Ferrari Movie Review: Direction, Music
Mann is a famous director because he knows how to bring atmosphere and energy into his films. The street shooting sequence in Heat will always be remembered for its fierce quality that it has, and the same can be said in this opportunity about the driving sequences; they might not be the best example in the medium, but I still think that what we see in something like Ford. V Ferrari is a lot better, but the sound design and the camera work in Ferrari sell the sense of speed and danger in each one of these races.
The most dramatic moments are done well enough, even if their content could be more compelling. Still, thanks to Daniel Pemberton, a composer with a diverse body of work, some of those scenes connect. In the end, Ferrari could have been a better directing effort than Mann; he has done so much better before, but at least the movie is not a total mess, just a bit unfocused.
Ferrari Movie Review: The Last Word
Ferrari might not be the award-winning film everyone expected; the movie has severe issues with its pacing and acting, and some of the drama could be more exciting. However, it also shows that Mann has it when it counts, and there are many exciting sequences in the film, especially regarding the races or the business decisions our main character has to make. Yet, the film feels like it could have been so much more, but for some reason, Ferrari never goes full speed.
Ferrari Trailer
Ferrari was released on 14 December 2023.
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