Screens/Reviews

Ferrari
Where: In theatres
What: Movie, 130 mins.
When: Mon., Dec. 25
Genre: Drama
Rating: NNN (out of 5)
Why you should watch: Gorgeous and gut-churning racing scenes that show up too late in the film.

FOR A FILM theoretically about auto racing, Michael Mann’s latest, Ferrari, is surprisingly slow-moving and makes us wait till the last quarter of the film for any real race action.

Mostly it’s a very slow-boil look at the life of Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) and his very pissed-off, cheated-on wife and stealthy business partner Laura Ferrari (Penelope Cruz) as they navigate a financial crisis in their car business in 1957.

They also constantly navigate the crises in their personal lives as they grieve the death of a young child as well as a relationship challenged by Enzo’s serial infidelity.

Driver’s Italian accent is no better in this film than it was in his recent performance as Maurizio Gucci in House of Gucci, and we’re left to wonder what casting directors see in his spoof-like attempts at sounding Italian. His performance is one, monotonous note without the charisma and sexiness that was part of Ferrari’s brand.

Cruz is much more convincing as the wily wife who’s had enough of her no-good husband but remains committed to making their joint business a success.

Despite its Italian setting, the first half of the film feels shrouded in blacks and greys before viewers are released into the colourful extravaganza of a critical cross-Italy race that the Ferraris are convinced, if they can win, can save their company.

It’s no surprise that director Mann can shoot gorgeous and terrifying race scenes that — finally — have viewers gripping their popcorn bags tightly. It’s just too bad he waits so long to inject car racing into his film — it’s like a fuel additive that should have been in the mix from the very beginning.