Movie Review: Ferrari

 NOTICE: I was originally going to end my marathon of 2023 to do my countdown of Best Movies of the year 2023, but it will be delayed until about the late January or early February, due to reviewing two more movies if last year for capping off my marathon of 2023 movies. Thank you.

Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my Movie Review.

Well, looks like we’re going to cap off the year 2023 for one more movie that came out on December (much like I did my review of Godzilla Minus One), so… Why not going to have yet another movie based on true story, about motorsport since I did with with Rush and Ford V Ferrari, which im sure you’re guessing the title from the latter in today’s review.

“Ferrari” is a 2023 biographical sports drama film that was produced/directed by Michael Mann, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, and co-produced by P.J. van Sandwijk, Marie Savare, John Lesher, Thomas Hayslip, John Friedberg, Andrea Iervolino, Monika Bacardi, Gareth West, Lars Sylvest, Thorsten Schumacher, and Laura Riste.

This one has a looooong development that Michael Mann wanted to make. How long? I mean back in 2000. Back in 2000, wanted to make the next passion project involving Ferrari, it was based on a biography called “Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine” by a journalist named Brock Yates in 1991. Mann had a discussion with Sidney Pollack for the project, but later let him go while hiring the writer Troy Kennedy Martin, sadly, despite being involved with the project to write the movie, he’ll be able to see a movie came to life, he tragically passed away in 2009 from a lung cancer, which means Ferrari was the last movie he ever worked on, which it came out 14 years after his death. However, despite of jumping numerous distributions and which casting choices, the movie was suggested to be $40M in budget, but Mann refused because its not enough that it needs to be a bit expensive as $95M for the drama and the racing scenes.

So, with all that said, will this movie is worth of challenge to dedicating the late brother Dino, or is this movie runs like clowns like nowadays Ferrari in F1?

Well, lets find out.

The Story

When I first heard of it, I thought that this is gonna be all about racing for saving the brand, but it feels like 25% race and 75% business and life crisis.

It begins in weirdly a black and white green screen race when Enzo Ferrari used to be a racer back in the 1920s before he retired to building his own brand while worked with Alfa Romeo. (Ok?) Fast Forward to the main time of 1957, Enzo’s successful business with his brand was in bad shape due to a mix of domestic and performance crisis with his estranged wife Laura, but also had a haunting life when his son Dino died too soon in the age of 24, along with living with mistress Lina Lardi in secret with his illegitimate son Piero. But once his F1 team will make a groundbreaking development, his brand is in financial crisis, its up to Enzo Ferrari to figuring out what to do save his brand without going into bankrupt from reality problems.

It was an ok story at best for me, as a fan of motorsports when Ferrari was a big deal from my childhood, I was assuming its gonna be about Ferrari trying to regaining success from either F1 season or even thousand miles racing called “Mille Miglia”. But this one is more about a reality struggling that back then Ferrari was no longer overpowered team as when they use to in their golden times in the 50s, not because of business struggle, but also a life experience of uneasy relation with estranged wife and even grieving from the early loss of Dino Ferrari. That’s fine, I guess, but its just that sometimes, it felt boring in my view that, despite we can relate the problems, but it feels so slow that we want to see something action like testing cars or even racing in order to save the business, especially with a subplot when Enzo tries to building up with drivers in order to, again, saving his brand without going broke. One subplot that always giving us a cautionary tale is the safety back in the 50s, was a complete nightmare that how many people were killed from a fatal crashes, especially with Ferrari that cause medias to pretty much put the blame on the brand for dangerous cars. Yeah, back then, many people are blaming on the brand rather than the racing officials when it comes to car regulations, it was pretty dumb back then, but then again, the 50s race cars that, while they look beautiful, but they’re nowhere safe for putting drivers’ lives on the line, much like in one of my favorite movie Rush.

Sure, the writing maybe good, but its nowhere complex as Oppenheimer with fascinating writing, nor even fun as Mann’s previous movie, Ford V Ferrari. I know im might be nitpicky for the writing, but sometimes, some people like me could get bored that we’re waiting to see something action.

The Presentation

The budget of this movie costs $95M, and I will say, I think its the presentation are the focus than the writing.

For starter, its no secret the movie takes place on Italy, which yes, they filmed in Italy in Brescia before wrapping up to the beginning at Modena, the latter of which is (or was) a key factor of any Italian car brands not just racing, but factories to building sports cars such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani and Ferrari’s rival at the time, Maserati. Pretty fascinating how Modena was a big deal give car brands and racing we all knew and loved in Italy.

While the location looks nicely fit for movie talking about Ferrari’s struggle, but the cinematography looks beautifully amazing to showing off that it set in the late 50s, as well as questionable safety regulation compare to what we have today. Which, we do get to see the cars scenes either on testing or even the racing scenes, the latter of which is what would’ve been for racing fans (including yours truly), but again, we’re probably gonna be stuck with a business drama from a financial struggle and life crisis from the past. Speaking of life, yes and I hate to say, there are moments of drivers or even innocent people were killed. I mean, that’s fine we can hearing the report, but not showing us a fatality, but then again, its a movie that we probably gonna see it for R-Rated movie.

Plus, im also give an appreciation to bringing some classic 50s cars from many Italian brands that we enjoy to see, though we also seen non-Italian brands like Mercedes in the movie, but then again, its about Ferrari, and occasional their rival Maserati.

The movie’s presentation looks beautifully well done and nicely followed up from key factor on Modena to some fun racing and cars moment. Even if it was a long and mixed feeling movie.

The Characters

Now, its no stranger the casts are the highlight as well, you think if the characters based on real life would’ve been helpful? Well, the acting can be good, but be able to saving themselves from the writing.

Lets start with the main Ferrari himself, Enzo Ferrari (played by then Kylo Ren, Adam Driver), he’s the main owner of Ferrari as we all know when he used to be a racer back in the 20s, I was expecting If “The Grand Old Man” would take the business seriously for building cars or even caring so much about his legacy of his own family? Well, kinda, but he seems kinda both emotionless and monotone, sure he may emotional moment, but could’ve been better, sure, he’s mush as desperate that he wants to save his business and his legacy for racing than a reality struggling for either merging or selling. Im not trying to disrespect to Adam Driver, I think he did an ok performance, but I wish he could get a little be energized for being emotional that he cared about his legacy and a late beloved Dino. Not to mention, im not so sure for his Italian accent, it feels off, but keep in mind, he’s Englishman, but I’ve seen two racing movies that both times that Enzo was played by actual Italian actors, but for Adam, I find it to be the weakest.

Next up is Laura Ferrari (played by Penelope Cruz) a strict and frustrated estranged wife that while she’s working with Enzo for financing, but when it comes to crisis, she’s much as impatient that she demanded Enzo for take one option or take the L. Even though I may have a hard time if she’s neutral or desperately mean at Enzo, but boy, what a delivery from Penelope. But like Adam’s Enzo Ferrari, her accent of Italian is mixed, since she’s Spanish, but il give a credit for her performance. Also, don’t bring a gun in front of Enzo, like seriously, what the hell??

Though the last one il put to talk about is Lina Lardi (played by Shailene Woodley), who’s Enzo’s mistress in privacy that he wants to be with her for a new family life after losing Dino. It may sounds understandable, but it sounds risky for leaving Laura away to be with Lina. Its one thing that I forgot to add in, its the love triangle cliché in this movie, but the whole love triangle part is mainly for how to get finance with shares in half, even though this was only shown for the third act, but not gonna spoil about the discovery. As for Lani, I think she’s passable, even if her Italian accent didn’t mesh as an American actress.

As for the rest, there’s not much else to give like Linda Christian (played by Sarah Gadon) who’s a famous actress in the 50s, but, since this is Ferrari, it also has racers, such as;

Peter Collin (plays by Jack O’Connell) a British racer with a surprising respectful moment with Ferrari, like when he gestured to Juan Manuel Fangio to give him his car to win a championship in 1956, which im pretty sure Enzo had a respect for him to stay (Pretty odd for F1 in 50s), Piero Taruffi (played by Patrick Dempsey) a man with a fine white hair who’s been into F1 and Mille Miglia, Carlo Chiti (played by Michele Savoia) who used to be a racer and became an engineer designer with Ferrari, Alfonso de Portago (played by Gabriel Leone) who’s a charming racer with a longest name ever that he was named (Get ready for this one) “Alfonso Antonio Vicente Eduardo Angel Blas Francisco de Borja Cabeza de Vaca y Leighton”.

The characters in this movie are average at best that it mainly focuses on Ferrari drama, especially with some has the lack of development because of the writing.

And now for my final opinion of this movie.

Overall, Ferrari is… Probably good, but probably a disappointing result in my opinion.

Sure, it has some nice stuff like the struggling of keeping the business open for both selling cars and even racing team, the presentation looks beautifully well done for the location in Italy to the racing sequences, even having with old school cars are fun to see, even if the safety regulation back then are dangerously dated for causing drivers’ lives.

Unfortunately, the movie is probably missed the mark for being boring with some slow moments, some actors trying to do the Italian accent just either plain mixed or awkward (no offense to any actors, cause I know its their job for their own accent, sometimes work, but other times, not) and the racing scenes are nearly less focus, but focusing on both business and relation drama.

I know some people may love this movie to show us the struggling history of Ferrari, but sometimes, its the execution that didn’t work for either too slow or even the sake of dramatization, complete with cheap Italian accent with a minimal attempt to… Well, speak Italian (No racist to Italians out there, but even some Italians could also be icky on this movie, just saying).

This is definitely for either a fans of Ferrari or even expert historians, but for me, its more like in my own disappointing category, but not as extremely and boringly disappointed as Five Nights at Freddy’s, this is more like my passable movie.

For my rating, im gonna give this movie a 5/10.

So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.

Thanks for reading, im Anthony, signing out.