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Ferrari (2023)

 


Ferrari is a biopic of the late Enzo Ferrari and his controversial 1957 race of the Mille Miglia.

Directed by Michael Mann, the film has a slow start that grounds you in the scenery, the period, and how everything is in the late 50s Italy. Mann must love Ferrari as this is the second Ferrari movie he's produced in the past 4 years: this and Ford v Ferrari which is more about Ford than it is Ferrari but whatever. Michael Mann of course directed Heat, Ali, and Collateral, these movies are much different than his recent racing fixation.

Adam Driver has a lot of range in the film having to play Enzo in various moods and display stoic, vulnerable, angry, and loving emotions; all in scenes that require them. He'll always be Kylo Ren but compared to Marriage Story and Paterson he's really branching out from his Star Wars days. 

Penélope Cruz plays Laura Ferrari, Enzo's wife who is kept in the dark about Enzo's affair with Lina Lardi played by the oddly good Shailene Woodley. She's that girl from the Divergent series, now she's all grown up. She's had some other recent movies that were 'movies' with Dumb Money and To Catch a Killer. This is easily her best film while I haven't seen a better performance from Cruz. She's a seasoned actress too. 

I enjoyed Ferrari because I'm a sports car enthusiast but if I wasn't there was still enough for people to be enthralled with the drama surrounding this particular race. Result: B+

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