'Ferrari' Doesn't Deliver A Trophy

Michael Mann, usually known for crime dramas, does a biopic about racing that is interesting yet not enthralling. Ferrari paints the portrait of a driven, complicated man who will burn as many bridges as he can in order to succeed. Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) isn't the most heartfelt character to follow. He is going through a tumultuous divorce with his soon-to-be ex-wife Laura (Penélope Cruz) while trying to balance another relationship with his lover Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley). Aside from being a womanizer, Enzo shows close to no remorse when confronted with the death of others. It might be because of the loss of his son, Dino, who died at a young age. 

Enzo Ferarri is already a successful man when the film starts. He, with the support of Laura, created the Ferarri we know today. Michael Mann's film about Ferrari isn't so much about the big races themselves as much as it's about a man's life being in turmoil. The film works as an examination of a life falling apart, yet the perseverance of the man to not let it knock him down. Enzo Ferrari is going bankrupt. Everything rides on the Mille Miglia, a 1,000-mile race across Italy. Anything could go wrong during this race. The drivers aren't properly suited for protection by today's standards. And bystanders could be killed. It's a roll of the dice that could end horribly for Enzo if his racers don't win. 

All of this drama is present in a film that comes across as very dry. Nothing is memorable about the film except Adam Driver's phony Italian accent. If not nailing it in House of Gucci, Driver tries again in Ferrari. This time around, the accent is less pronounced. It's not as goofy or over the top. It's more subtle, and Driver is hitting many of the right notes, but he's still very off. It's not as much the fault of the actor as it is in the film's casting. How do you ask an American actor to do an Italian accent? Joaquin Phoenix didn't even try this year, as Napoleon stylistically allowed Phoenix to use his accent instead of slapping on a French one. The results are mixed but mostly successful. 

Here, Driver is asked to do a lot that doesn't fall within his vocal range. If Ferrari had taken the Napoleon approach in actors using their natural accents, the performances would have worked better. When Shailene Woodley is sharing the scene with Adam Driver it's not only abundantly clear that both actors are Americans, but their recognizability makes the scenes that are supposed to be searing drama fall flat. I understand the film needs star power to earn a profit. Casting Itallion actors speaking English or having the film spoken in Italian wouldn't work well for an American release. 

The one standout performance of the movie is Penélope Cruz. She displays a level of contempt for Enzo that boils in her eyes. She takes control of every scene she's in. Whether she's speaking to Enzo or a banker, Ms. Cruz is a powerhouse. She must do a lot of acting with her face, where she must be subtle. Adam Driver can certainly listen and emote, but the camera can stay on Cruz's face without letting go. In one particular crucial scene toward the end of the movie, the frame lingers on Cruz without cutting to a wider angle, where her expressions say everything. 

Unfortunately, much of the film isn't as strong as Penélope Cruz's performance. A majority of the movie is bogged down in boring legal disputes that disrupt the flow of the picture. Amid a messy divorce, Enzo has to figure out if he'll share his Ferarri stocks with Laura. It's not particularly dynamic cinema. It's more of a dull ongoing argument that does little to enhance the picture. What makes matters worse is that Enzo doesn't seem to react much to anything. Other than when he thinks about his dead son. Although Enzo is going broke, we don't feel that he is. Enzo also doesn't emote much when one of his drivers dies. He shows little to no remorse. It may be because he has to be professional in chaos. It may also be that being unsympathetic is in Enzo's character. 

After suffering the loss of his son, Enzo is used to death. It's part of the danger in racing. Racecar drivers weren't properly protected in 1957. There was no hood on the car as the driver was stuck in a vehicle with no interior protection. If you get into a serious crash, you're as good as dead. It raises the stakes for the film's races. How the races are filmed is decent, but nothing groundbreaking. It's the typical helicopter shots of cars going by, accompanied by the quick cutaway to the racer grabbing the clutch pedal to speed ahead of their opponent. 

To the film's credit, it's not like the typical uplifting racing film. The picture doesn't focus on a grand medal ceremony to close out the picture. Instead, it centers on Enzo Ferrari's domestic disputes. The film certainly paints an interesting protagonist who is more complicated than celebrated. Despite its arduous portrayal of a motivated man, Ferrari is a bore. The character development is moderate, and the performance from Driver is admirable but flawed. There's a good screenplay to be made that lacks the pacing to keep it engaging. When the film is in the middle of a race, it cuts to Enzo sitting down at dinner or talking over the phone to mark business deals. It breaks from the tension with unengaging material. 

I give director Michael Mann credit. Little is he interested in making just another uplifting sports bio. Mann often finds the grey area in people. He displays it between cops and criminals in Heat and Thief, and he shows the repercussions of being a whistleblower in The Insider. Ferrari is like those films about layered protagonists. But it isn't as dynamic. It's stylistically pretty to look at. The cinematography by Erik Messerschmidt is gloomy with its gold color tone and dimly lit interiors. The inside of Enzo's mansion, in particular, is minimal in its lighting, like it's a dungeon Enzo wants to break free from. The score from Daniel Pemberton is appropriately moody, and the film overall is aesthetically pleasing. Despite being stylistically sound and dramatically complex, Ferrari doesn't have much gas in its engine to go on. From its sluggish, disruptive pace to its dull financial handlings and a lackluster performance from its lead, Ferrari can't cross the finish line.