Adam Driver has made quite a name for himself in Hollywood.
The charismatic, endearing actor shot to fame on the HBO series Girls in the early 2010s before nabbing the role of the dark yet conflicted Ben Solo aka Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. From there, he has won acclaim and accolades for a variety of complex and challenging roles. These include a nervous Jewish police officer going undercover as a white supremacist in Black Klansman, a frustrated theatre director having to face divorce in Marriage Story, and most recently as an astronaut in 65. Driver has slowly but surely evolved from a brooding character actor to a compelling leading man. He’s also demonstrated his comedic timing and willingness to play weird, eccentric types while hosting four Saturday Night Live episodes. In between films, he has found time to do stage productions on Broadway.
Now, Driver has returned to the big screen in Ferrari, the latest offering from director Michael Mann. Interestingly, it marks the first collaboration for the filmmaker and actor, and they are slated to team up again on the director’s next project, the upcoming Heat 2. What’s more, Ferrari has been in the making for seven years with Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman attached at various intervals. The real question is: do Mann and Driver succeed in telling a story?
Ferrari begins with a grainy black-and-white sequence of Enzo Ferrari (Driver) participating in a car race circa 1938. The scene feels something akin to Laurence of Arabia’s opening motorcycle scene or the “history of cars” montage in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (albeit without a musical number). Cutting ahead to 1957, it is established that he’s running Ferrari, and his devoted wife Laura (Penelope Cruz) owns half of the company’s shares. Both are focused on continuing the brand, even if their marriage is on the rocks. However, Enzo is focused on the struggling company’s latest vehicle- the Formula One car, which is quite costly to produce. The next big event for Ferrari is the open-road long-distance Mille Miglia race, which covers a thousand miles in length. The company must come up with a formidable racing car.
Unknown to the public, Enzo has a secret mistress Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley), with whom he has a young son Piero (Giuseppe Festinese). Despite the delicate nature of their situation, he and have a pleasant relationship and dote on their son. All of this has to be kept secret from Laura and the general public. The reason for the secrecy is not just for optics or to preserve the Ferrari company’s reputation, because it is more personal to him. Years before, he and Laura tragically lost their son Dino to muscular dystrophy. This has caused a strain on the marriage, and the widening rift between them is continuing to grow. What makes it even harder is Laura’s growing suspicions of Enzo. Although she knows her husband has a mistress, Laura is unaware of the child
that resulted from said relationship. While the public is unaware of Piero’s existence, Laura comes to discover Enzo’s business associates at the company kept her in the dark about the open secret.
Further complicating things, rival competitor Ford has started expressing an interest in car racing. However, Enzo dislikes the idea of his own company getting into the racing industry. He wants to avoid the renowned Ferrari brand being typecast as a race car manufacturer. Rather, he would prefer the company to be known as a manufacturer of cars that happen to be capable of racing.
To compete with Ford, Enzo decides that merging with another company is the best course of action, but to accomplish that, he will need to get Laura to approve the merger and sign over her shares of the company to him. This could be very risky because she’s demanding half a million dollars- a condition that could send Ferrari into bankruptcy if she decides to cash the check. Nevertheless, Enzo resolved to develop a state-of-the-art Ferrari automobile that was capable of racing. Further complicating things, one pressing matter that causes Enzo concern is Pierro’s upcoming First Communion, because Laura wants to give her son the surname of Ferrari. This undoubtedly puts pressure on Enzo even more as the race nears closer.
Driver does well in the role of Enzo. Quiet and stoic, he commands the screen with his presence. Even when he’s not speaking, one can sense he is struggling with juggling the company with his marriage and his mistress. Unlike his previous take on Kylo Ren, Driver’s Ferrari is more contained and tends to bottle up his emotions. This is a man who has compartmentalized the various parts of his life, and he finds it hard to open up about how he feels. Nevertheless, Driver embodies a character who could have been played by another actor as unsympathetic and makes him likable.
The biggest surprise of the film is Penelope Cruz. As a frustrated wife, she is supportive of Enzo’s career and the business he runs, but it is coming at the cost of their marriage. Her pain at having lost their son is paradoxically what keeps the couple united and distant. She maintains a strong love and respect for her husband and the company, which makes their situation interesting in his turning to her for advice. It could be argued that Cruz dominates the film in terms of personality.
Shailene Woodley turns in a solid, supporting performance as Lina. Having shot to fame in the Divergent franchise, she has established herself as a dependable actress with range. Woodley’s interactions with Driver are loving and tender. Although they cannot be married under the current circumstances, Lina cares deeply for her lover and focuses on providing a stable home life for their son. It is clear that she understands his personal and professional obligations but still expects him to support their child. What could have been an underwritten role is fleshed out by Woodley and given emotional depth and nuance.
Mann does well with the film’s racing scenes. There is a close camera perspective from cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt. In terms of editing, Pietro Scalia’s work is tight-knit and rapid-paced. The effect is as if one is in the thick of the action.
Overall, Ferrari proves to be a fine return to form for Mann. Driver, Cruz, and Woodley deliver solid performances. This is one of the best films of 2023. Four out of five stars.
