It is a magical name in the car world and for that reason alone Ferrari does not appear enough on the used cars pages that I coordinate for the print magazine AutoWeek. But yes, it doesn’t help that the Italians have decided to ignore affordable automobiles forever and ever and that they operate in the niche of niches.
Ferrari is Ferrari, so when the feature film ‘Ferrari’ came out last week, I threw down €15.50 and bought a cinema ticket. It was the afternoon performance in Hoofddorp, so it was nice and quiet. When the lights went out there were three visitors and two more came during the advertising beforehand.
Opportunistic
Enzo Ferrari was no wuss, according to everyone who dealt with him. You had a hard time, especially when you had to work or race for him. He confronted people harshly in front of everyone if, in his opinion, they were performing below par. He also stuck to his goals at all costs. It is legendary that the old boss already contacted a replacement/successor when his driver Niki Lauda was badly burned by helicopter on his way to intensive care after his horror crash during the Formula 1 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring in 1976. the film ‘Ferrari’, which goes further back in time (the period around the Mille Miglia of 1957), we see that opportunistic return when a driver crashes during test drives and the Commendatore already captures a new upcoming star while the fresh victim has not even has cooled down…
Quite overwrought
Enzo was also very fond of women. He undressed them with his eyes and then frequently put his thoughts into practice. This resulted in an illegitimate son (Piero) and that plays a significant role in the film, as does the loss of his deceased legal son Dino. That causes a lot of emotions and arguments between Enzo and his official wife. He is played by a rather overwrought Penélope Cruz, which makes it easier to understand that Enzo went looking for some entertainment elsewhere. I also don’t think Adam Driver as Enzo is very strong, despite his promising last name. In the film he acts authoritarian and plays God in traditional post-war Italy, but it does not seem very believable. That English with an Italian twist doesn’t help.
Beautiful mix
The relationship part plays a pretty big role in the film (maybe that’s why there were two women in the cinema). You have to go through that to see beautiful images of racing monopostos from that time and see them crash in a terrible way. Still, I understand the makers of the feature film ‘Ferrari’. The fascinating, controversial private life of Enzo Ferrari in combination with the drama and danger of car racing of that time is a wonderful mix, with tough, tough drivers who risked their lives with heart and soul. However, as far as I am concerned, the leading actors lack it in this film: too little conviction. I liked ‘Rush’ (2013, about the 1976 Formula 1 season and the battle between James Hunt and Niki Lauda) and ‘Le Mans 66’ (2019, also called ‘Ford versus Ferrari’ with Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby) both better .
Well, look
Still, you should see it if you are a car enthusiast, because car guys like Enzo Ferrari are no longer made. Someone who says “Others race to sell street cars, we sell street cars to race” and makes it come true, deserves a film and an audience. It doesn’t matter that that quote also appeared in the film ‘Le Mans 66’.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl