Ferrari

 

       "Ferrari" centers the story of Enzo Ferrari during 1957. Enzo is reeling from the death of his son, his disintegrating marriage, company financial trouble, dealing with his mistress and his illegitimate son, all while preparing for the Millie Miglia, one of Italy's most important races.

        Adam Driver stars as Enzo Ferrari in a cold self-absorbed performance While his acting is solid, it's difficult to empathize with this character. Penelope Cruz co-stars as Laura, his wife and company partner. Ms. Cruz steals every scene she's in and is simply an unstoppable force of nature. Also co-starring is Shailene Woodley as Lina, Enzo's mistress. While a very capable actress, Ms. Woodley is completely miscast this time. And in another strange casting choice, Patrick Dempsey plays Piero Taruffi, one of Ferrari's racecar drivers.

       The film is directed by Michael Mann who appears to have lost a step from his usual style. Outside of the car scenes, the film moves at a slow pace amounting to nothing more than an Italian soap opera. The racing scenes leading up to the Millie Miglia are all practice runs and become repetitive but the Mille Miglia itself is very exciting and features one of the most horrific sequences I've ever seen in a racing film.

        While a fascinating character study, the only real winner at the checkered flag is Ms. Cruz whose performance leaves everyone else in her dust.