Film Review - Ferrari (2023)

Everyone knows the name Ferrari, the beast of an automobile that changed racing forever but do they know the man behind the car? Enzo Ferrari! ‘Ferrari’ follows the story of Enzo Ferrari, now played by academy award nominee Adam Driver, on his journey to changing the racing industry forever for better or for worse, but does it do this legend’s story justice? The answer is a resounding yes as Ferrari races to the screen from the incredible mind of Michael Mann who clearly cares about telling the story of Enzo Ferrari as every shot is crafted with the most intricate, detailed and beautiful care as ‘Ferrari’ is a delight to watch from start to finish for the most part, especially in it’s thrilling races.

If there’s one thing director Michael Mann knows how to do it’s how to perfectly craft a tension filled scene, especially the roaring races. Mann creates some of the most twisted, tension filled and surprisingly horrifying races ever put to screen, rivalling that of James Mangolds Rush.’ Mann perfectly captures the dangers, thrills and fun of the sport, doing justice to what is arguably the greatest sport of all time. Mann especially achieves such heights in the final race in a scene that achieves shock and horror, setting this film apart from most other racing movies and crafting a scene that is sure to be one of the most talked about moments of 2023 cinema.

In a movie about the greatest drivers in racing history it’s safe to say that Adam Driver’s Star Wars days are behind him as he may just be earning himself a third Oscar nomination with what can only be described as a perfect imitation of Enzo Ferrari himself. Driver may just be one of the best actors of his generation as he delivers a performance that carries weight, fury and a need for speed, with immaculate hair, makeup and prosthetics one could not be blamed for mistaking Driver for Enzo Ferrari himself. It seems that between 2019s ‘Marriage Story’ and now ‘Ferrari,’ Adam Driver is quickly proving himself to be much more than just a Star Wars villain as this role proves that Driver has the capability to be one of the greatest actors of all time.

However, the standout performance of the movie by far is that of Penelope Cruz as Ferrari’s wife Laura Ferrari. Cruz brings one of the most eery performances of the entire movie as she plays a character broken by loss, family and pain while also having an odd but surprisingly hilarious use of black comedy, especially in her opening scene which will be sure to stick with the viewer for a very long time. In a similar vein, Shailene Woodley also delivers an exceptional performance as Enzo Ferrari’s mistress Lina Lardi. Woodley brings some much needed heart to a movie full of some questionable characters, playing one of the only characters that you genuinely care about and one that you want to see succeed.

However, ‘Ferrari’ is far from a spotless movie as it can be quite hard to follow due to a lack of information and a bizarre use of dialogue. Unfortunately this leads to confusion in a movie which should be full of powerful scenes with an incredible A list cast. To add to that, the movie’s ending may also leave viewers simply confused as the movie just ends at an unnatural point with certain story points feeling unfinished which may leave viewers scratching their heads by the time the credits roll.

Overall while ‘Ferrari’ has its ups and downs it certainly deserves your attention as Michael Mann crafts a movie that does justice to the beloved sport. ‘Ferrari’ is thoroughly entertaining with an A list cast, immaculate races and performances from Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz that will undoubtedly gather Oscar attention and elevate Adam Driver’s career even further.