I watched Race for Glory, and then Ferrari, and while neither is on the level of Rush, both were very enjoyable. Full disclosure, I am a car nut and I will watch any movie that contains cool cars, but I was their very narrow target demographic for sure.
Race for Glory - If you want another Daniel Bruhl masterwork like Rush, this isn't it. This movie was made by Italians to celebrate the time the underdog Lancia team beat the Germans. Bruhl's Gumpert is essentially the bad guy, and while his performance is really good, he's a bit player. This is really the story of Cesare Fiorio played very well by Riccardo Scamarcio. He was one of those characters we all love, who pushed the rules to the limit and found creative ways to win. He beat the Quattros with a 2WD Lancia 037, overcoming a lot more than just their AWD advantage.
It comes across as a real underdog story, which it was...sorta. Lancia DOMINATED rally for years before and after the Audi Quattro showed up. As much as I am an Audi fanboi (a 5 cyl turbo with anti-lag is the greatest engine noise ever, full stop) they won the WRC manufacturer's title twice to Lancia's 10 times (and 3 for Fiat). So they knew what they were doing. And Fiorio went on to lead Ferrari's F1 efforts, so he was pretty good. That takes nothing away from the film, which is about one season, and any time I can watch Audi Quattros and Lancia 037s duke it out, its money well spent. The racing action was great, to be on set in Monte Carlo with those 037s driving around, who cares if they were replicas, I would have been in heaven. Same for the Audis, listening to them on set, I would have worked for free as a grip.
Ferrari - The movie is based on Brock Yates' biography, and Brock is a real hero of mine, so I had to see it. The biggest issue for me is Adam Driver, I don't get the appeal. And Penelope Cruz played Laura, and she is also not my favorite. At least Patrick Dempsey played Piero Taruffi...Proton Dempsey Racing, come on!
Personal bias aside, Cruz stole the show, her performance was great. She was very weathered and beaten down, even her walk was spot-on. Just don't Google the real Ferraris, they look like your Aunt and Uncle more than Hollywood heartthrobs.
Moving on, the movie was about Ferrari and his personal life, much less about the cars or racing. That said, the laps at Fiorino and the Mille Miglia race were pretty good and the replica cars used were really good. Why F1 thought it was a good idea to perch the driver above the car at 130mph is beyond me, the fact that everyone died was pretty predictable. 1957 was not an easy year for Il Commendatore, so the movie isnt a feel-good rom-com, but it was interesting and an enjoyable watch. How Ferrari made it to where they are today is hard to believe.
