Ferrari

The wrong Ferrari is at the center of this film

Adam Driver mulls finding an accent coach in Michael Mann’s Ferrari.

In 1957, Ferrari was on the verge of bankruptcy. The cars are world famous, but the head of the company, Enzo (Adam Driver), funnels money into the F-1 racing side of the company and pays little attention to selling luxury cars. To continue, the company will need a financial partner, or a major F-1 win to encourage sales.

For Enzo, the solution is simple: Win F-1 races. A former race car driver, Enzo values the gladiatorial nature of car racing above anything else. He prizes his racers and his cars, discussing the glory and the determination that is needed to win every chance he gets. His single-minded drive to cement the Ferrari name in racing history threatens the company he loves so dearly.

But Enzo isn’t only grappling with financial difficulties. His wife Laura (Penélope Cruz), is a cofounder of Ferrari and does the books for the company. She is still grieving the death of their son, and resentful of Enzo’s philandering ways. She is also furious at being pushed aside so Enzo can act as the face of the company because he’s a man.

Though Laura assumes Enzo is sleeping with a multitude of women, he’s actually spending his nights with the same woman, Lina (Shailene Woodley). Lina has been Enzo’s steady mistress for years and gave him something precious: An heir to the Ferrari name.

Can Enzo win his race and save his company? And how will Laura cope with the notion that Enzo has a son who will likely inherit her company?

I think it’s a shame that there are apparently no Italian actors in the world anymore. And it’s a bigger shame that someone with as much talent as Adam Driver is yet again mangling an Italian accent in a movie. He’s in good company at least, with Woodley barely remembering to mumble an accented word every other line.

Still, Ferrari isn’t a total car crash, it just buries the interesting bits behind horrible accent work and a stodgy story that’s been told a million times about A Man With Vision. The real interest (and the best acting) lies with Cruz’s spurned-wife character. Laura Ferrari helped build one of the most famous car companies in the world, lost a child, and is expected to step aside and allow her husband to control her stake in the business and bequeath it to the product of an affair. It’s no wonder she was a volatile figure.

Cruz is a livewire in the role, imbuing Laura with the raw pain of a woman who’s lost everything. Yet, even in the midst of her absolute devastation, she’s still able to think, plan, and emotionally aid those around her better than Enzo. It’s rather a shame we follow Enzo around when Cruz is clearly the star of the show.

The other bit of the film that truly sings is the racing. Director Michael Mann is no stranger to piecing together heart-pounding action. In Ferrari, he delivers again, showing off exactly how harrowing auto racing is, and how each driver blithely takes their lives in their hands every time they get behind the wheel. The film also captures one of the most shattering car crashes this viewer has ever seen on film. It was so arresting, it almost made up for all the atrocious accent work.

While Ferrari isn’t particularly fresh or interesting, it’s well made. If you’re the type of person who likes F1 racing or lionizes Enzo Ferrari, this will certainly be a worthwhile watch. If, however, you’re looking for something human, something a little bit more nuanced or revelatory, keep your eyes on Cruz and enjoy her truncated time on the screen. Chances are the rest will be a bit of a slog.

Verdict: If you’re a diehard racing fan, this movie may satisfy, but Ferrari isn’t breaking any new or interesting ground.

Ferrari is rated R and is available in theaters December 25.