Film Talk: Driver by name, driver by nature as Adam is Enzo in Ferrari

Amid strikes that shook the industry to its core, 2023 has been the year that gave us the live action version of The Little Mermaid, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

And, of course, in arguably the cinematic event of the year, we were treated to ‘Barbenheimer’ – the simultaneous release of Greata Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, both of which made huge box office waves.

Indeed, Barbie became the 53rd film overall to gross $1 billion worldwide, while Oppenheimer now stands as the highest-grossing World War II film of all time, surpassing previous record holder Dunkirk, also directed by Nolan. With eyes now on next year's Oscars, there have been plenty of fantastic films from the last 12 months that will be making a strong play for the gongs, and 2023 has reminded us that passion in the movie world remains strong, with film makers continuing to push their boundaries and audiences revelling in their efforts.

But of course, it’s not over yet! As we take an in-depth a look at the last rook of films to make our pages this year, director Michael Mann is in the driving seat with a biopic based on the life of one of motoring’s most famous sons.

Starring Adam Driver, Ferrari puts the Star Wars alumnus in the shoes of Enzo Ferrari, for a look at the story of the man behind that legendary prancing horse logo and the supercars that have worn it.

Alongside this, we take a look this week at Japanese animated fantasy flick The Boy and the Heron, Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, and new American rom-com, Anyone But You. But how do 2023’s last flicks stack up against the aforementioned titans? Let’s take a look...

FERRARI (UK 15/ROI 15A, 130 mins)

Released: December 26 (UK & Ireland)

At a pivotal moment in Michael Mann’s biopic of one of the key figures in motor racing, Enzo Ferrari proudly raises a glass to his team of drivers and technicians and salutes the perilous sport they adore as “our deadly passion, our terrible joy”.

His inspirational words come shortly after his best driver, Eugenio Castellotti (portrayed on screen by real-life racer Marino Franchitti), has been fatally injured on the Modena test track.

Mann stages the gruesome scene with elan.

The horrible yet bewitching contradictions of Enzo’s words are evident in Ferrari, a stylish yet emotionally hollow dramatisation of an annus horribilis for the automotive mogul, which culminated in manslaughter charges.

Screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin can’t find top gear when his characters abandon their turbocharged creations and engage face-to-face.

The machines are far more interesting than the flawed men behind the wheel.

Thankfully, Mann’s picture is blessed with a fiery performance from Penelope Cruz as Enzo’s pragmatic wife, who insists her husband’s second son with another woman must not be publicly recognised with the Ferrari name while she still breathes.

Adam Driver seems muted in comparison, hiding his eyes behind sunglasses for extended periods as he grapples with an inconsistent accent and his mogul’s failings as a husband.