Ivan Vicario Martin
Ferrari debuts next Friday, February 9, the long-awaited film directed by Michael Mann centered on the figure of Enzo Ferrari. At LA ESCUDERÍA we have had the opportunity to go to the preview that Boosters España and Diamond Films, the film's distributor in Spain, prepared for the national motor press. The film stars Adam Driver as the Commendatore, with Penelope Cruz as his wife Laura Garello, Shailene Woodley as Lina Lardi and Gabriel Leone as Alfonso de Portago.
In this review of the movie Ferrari, we tell you what we liked most about the film and, of course, also the least. If you prefer to go to the cinema without knowing too much about the film, we recommend not continuing reading, because this article may contain some spoiler, although we will try to avoid them as much as possible.
WELCOME TO THE ITALY OF THE 50'S
The first thing that Michael Mann's film stands out for is its outstanding setting, with very careful settings and very characteristic lighting that helps us immerse ourselves in the story. Both the scenarios and the cars that appear on the screen They immediately take us to Italy in the 50s., without us being able to find cars out of place.
From the beginning, it is clear that this is a film in which Enzo Ferrari is the center around which the rest of the characters gravitate. Enzo, not Ferrari, it must be clarified, because what we will see is not a story about the brand that founded the Commendatore, but about his own person. Here you have to highlight the performance of Adam Driver -what an appropriate surname-, which quickly makes us forget his role in the saga Star Wars to transmute into a most credible Enzo. The film's costume and characterization exercise is also outstanding, as every detail has been taken care of.
Enzo is described in the movie quite accurately, like a man who has to overcome the losses of his pilots with a certain fortitude. Otherwise, he couldn't own a racing team at that time. For him, Ferrari is above everything. Nevertheless, its less known human side is shown, the one who suffers with the loss of his son Dino or who has to face the consequences of a double life that ends up exploding in his face. Also a fun Enzo who plays with his children. Anyone who wants to see a Ferrari that is implacable and dispassionate will be disappointed, even if there are details of that style.
ENZO'S TWO WOMEN
The world of Commentore moves around his wife Laura Garello and his lover Lina Lardi. In the role of the first we find Penelope Cruz who, if we pay attention to what her story tells about her, nails her performance, reflecting a depressive woman. halfway between madness and despair. We are talking about someone who has lost her only son and who has to consent to the infidelities of her husband. There will also be those who discover his role in the operation of Scuderia Ferrari.
Shailene Woodley portrays a conformist Lina Lardi, a woman who knows that she cannot ask Enzo for more than what he gives her at that moment. And we are talking about the moment because Michael Mann's film focuses its story on a few months of the year 1957That is to say, it is not a typical biopic. Alfredo Dino Ferrari had died in 1956, which ends up triggering the marital crisis that is a fundamental part of the film.
In addition, The Scuderia's accounts are in the red and it is essential to win the next edition of the Mille Miglia. He Commendatore He moves between one world, the staff, which only complicates his existence and another, the racing team, which requires him to change his business model. This implies the risk of losing control of his beloved Scuderia.
SECONDARY AND TWO RACING CAMEOS
If we talk about the rest of the characters, we must start by doing it in a Alfonso of Portago whose appearance seems somewhat wasted. Here we do miss a little more depth in a character that is much more interesting than it seems in the film. At least, reflects his intense romance with the actress Linda Christian and the one remembered as “Kiss of Death”.
Special mention should Patrick Demsey, the well-known actor of Grey's Anatomy who left his profession to devote himself to car racing. His participation in the film is almost a reward for his passion, although his career as a pilot and owner has been more linked to Porsche. Here gives life to a Piero Taruffi who can do little but follow the guidelines of Enzo Ferrari. The rest of the pilots who appear in the film have a very secondary role. at least we see the importance of Carlo Chiti in the Scuderia organizational chart, although their participation is low.
The preview movie theater, full of motor press, as we have already said, burst into murmurs with one of the cameos in the film, the one starring Marc Gené. The Spanish driver, Ferrari ambassador and winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, appears briefly at the delivery of one of the firm's cars. Another cameo is the one starring Ben Collins, former pilot best known for having been the Stig white en Top Gear.
LITTLE ACTION, BUT WELL FILMED
We come to one of the key points in this review of the Ferrari movie. We talk about the action scenes, generally very well shot and with few concessions to the gallery. Here we will not see pilots lowering their sunglasses at 300 km/h per hour in Les Hunaudieres, as in Le Mans 66. Yes, Whoever expects a movie full of races is getting the wrong movie., since these are somewhat scarce for a film named Ferrari. It is one of the things that some fans attribute to Michael Mann's film.
Furthermore, the two accidents that they recreate have been done with great skill, even though there are those who say that they are exaggerated. The one who suffers the Marquis of Portago is reflected with unusual rawness, which is a bit out of place in the middle of a footage without too many surprises. In any case, she does not stop show what was one of the worst tragedies in the history of the competition. Only Jean Behra's accident goes out of tune in the middle of a very careful action.
Otherwise, there are some events a little moved in time, but well fitted into what is told in the film, something that is still a narrative resource seen a thousand times. What does “sing” a little more are some clichés and clichés about racing sprinkled throughout conversations, like “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” and others of this style. They seem a little shoehorned in.
OUR SCORE
Ultimately, a great movie about Enzo Ferrari, although not so much about the brand he founded. The film tries to show us what the Commendatore and the challenges he faced in one of the hardest years of his life, 1957. Anyone who goes to the cinema looking to learn the history of Ferrari or its founder will be disappointed. As Karam El Shenawy, a colleague in this matter of “putting together letters” around the world of motors, commented at the exit, Maybe it would have been more accurate to call the film “Enzo.”.
All in all, it's about an excellent film that tells very well what it wants to tell. So good, that the little more than two hours that it lasts go by really quickly, without it getting heavy or having any parts that seem like filler. Even my girl, with whom I went to the premiere, thoroughly enjoyed it without being a car expert.
Without a doubt, a film at the level of Rush, For example. Emulating the pages dedicated to the topic, I will end my review of the movie Ferrari with the corresponding score: an 8 out of 10. It is very worth going to see it, always knowing that it is not a film focused on car racing, but on Enzo Ferrari.
FERRARI MOVIE PHOTO GALLERY
Photographs by Lorenzo Sisti.
