Ferrari: Michael Mann’s biopic of Enzo Ferrari takes a very narrow look at his life, concentrating a few key moments around just one race. It is a narrative gambit that works, making this an emotional and insightful film. The film looks into a moment when his company falters and all his bets are in one race; simultaneously, he is considering publicly recognizing his illegitimate son. The meatiest part of the drama is in the complicated relationship with his wife, partly because Penélope Cruz plays her so well. A hard woman, broken by the absence of her son, who is always on the verge of breaking down and succumbing to grief and anger. Adam Driver plays the man well (sliding accent notwithstanding), mostly walling off any emotions he may have, hiding behind his snark.

The racing scenes are exhilarating, made better by the excellent sound design, and very well-edited by Pietro Scalia. Cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt captures that footage very dynamically, while also staying close to the actors’ faces during the more emotional moments. Composer Daniel Pemberton contributes with a nice musical score.