‘Ferrari’ Review – Michael Mann’s Enzo Biopic Never Truly Shifts Into High Gear

Director Michael Mann hits more often than he misses. Manhunter, Heat, The Insider, and Collateral still stand as highlights of his career which makes audiences and cinephiles alike look forward to what he does next. Up until now, Mann hadn’t directed a film since 2015’s Blackhat which fell into the miss section of the filmmaker’s filmography. That being said, there was hope coming into his latest film Ferrari, which is based on the 1991 biography Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine by motorsport journalist Brock Yates. Diving into the personal and professional struggles of the Italian founder of the car manufacturer Ferrari S.p.A should be an exciting endeavor but the film never shifts into high gear. Despite some signature director flourishes by Mann and a cast of talented actors, the movie is strangely stilted, which feels strange considering the subject matter should’ve made for an exciting motion picture.

Driver’s Ferrari is a man dealing with several conflicts. He’s reeling from the death of his son Dino, a deteriorating marriage with his wife Laura (Penélope Cruz), and finding a semblance of love with his mistress Lina (Shailene Woodley). On top of this, he’s dealing with a car-manufacturing business that is on the brink of falling apart. Ferrari is in the red and nearing impending bankruptcy but this can all be changed once he enters his racing team to the 1957 Mille Miglia.

Mann and screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin depict Enzo as a man who is a victim of his own desires. The film would want you to believe that all of these distractions, from his troubled marriage to his new flame with his mistress, would make it slip on him that the sales of automobiles are tragically low. This seems like something he would be hyper-aware of and since he doesn’t seem to care until it’s blatantly pointed out to him, it makes it hard for the audience to really care. Perhaps it would have worked better if any of his distractions offered any great plot points but they really don’t. As a biopic, most of the movie’s beats are very by the book and this is something that can hamper most stories about real-life people. Perhaps more work should’ve gone into the long-unproduced screenplay, as the screenwriter passed away in 2009.

You never really feel the main character’s passion for cars or his company. There is no clear indication that he loves what he does, let alone cares about racing, or above all else, winning. The audience needed to see more of him at work showing a convincing interest in a company that is on the verge of collapsing. It would’ve also helped if there was more focus on him as an engineer. The film never gives you a good sense that he’s even a good one even though he does go over blueprints a couple of times. There is a lack of urgency in almost everything that we see him do, despite having all the ingredients in place to show that some of these circumstances likely lit a fire under the real man that just isn’t shown here.

Driver, in all honesty, is one of the best actors of his generation. He has consistently shown diversity in his roles and approach which has made him deserving of all the praise that most of his performances have garnered. This is why it’s a bit sad to report here that Driver feels miscast in the role. It’s not the first time the actor has put on an Italian accent (see Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci) but his use of one here almost feels like a step back. The actor never quite feels comfortable in the role and it’s the first time across his numerous films that he has seemed out of his depth. It’s not a bad performance by any means but it’s not one of his best as he never truly makes Enzo an engaging personality that the audience should want to learn more about.

Also miscast is Woodley as Enzo’s mistress. She has an American girl next door quality that would work if she wasn’t cast to play an Italian who also needs to effectively convey the accent. Woodley has been solid in other films but this one requires a bit too much of her that maybe she wasn’t ready to take on. She’s not convincing in the role and she comes off more as someone trying to play dress-up.

Other performers fare better than them, particularly Cruz, who delivers a convincing and inspired performance as his long-suffering wife. There’s a sense that she holds anger and resentment regarding some of Enzo’s decisions but beneath all of that is a warmth for her husband, despite many of his choices. Cruz makes Laura excitingly unpredictable and she delivers more passion in her role than Driver does. The actress is at home in roles like this that require high levels of drama and then moments of subtlety, and she continues to not miss a beat here.

Also of note are the car-racing scenes. Even though they are minimal, Mann makes them exciting and they give the film a much-needed jolt. The director makes the over-amped engine sounds come to life while also throwing in stylish quick cuts and low camera angles to make the audience feel like they’re experiencing the races themselves. The film ultimately culminates with the Mille Miglia, which was a 1,500-kilometer endurance race on open roads. The drivers participating in these races put themselves in grave danger engaging in it but it also put their navigators, spectators, and ordinary motorists at grave risk. This was the last year that the race was held and Mann doesn’t hold back showing the reason why. In probably the most heart-pounding moment of the film, the director stages the catastrophe to great effect.

In the end, Mann doesn’t add the same amount of detail to Enzo’s life as he did to the film’s exciting racing sequences. You get a sense that all involved don’t quite know who this person is and never ignites off the screen as a personality worth learning about. Ferrari could’ve offered up so much more but it ultimately sputters on the way to the finish line.

Ferrari will debut in theaters on Christmas Day courtesy of Neon.