“Two objects cannot occupy the same point in space, at the same moment in time,” says famed Italian automaker Enzo Ferrari in Michael Mann’s new biographical drama, Ferrari. While Ferrari’s words are spoken about car racing, they are also true about the larger forces that compete to edge out the other in his life; success and failure, happiness and heartbreak, and even life and death are consummate rivals that race to occupy the same spot in Ferrari’s world.

Set in the summer of 1957, Ferrari focuses its story on Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) at a pivotal crossroads in his life. We see early on that Ferrari–a former racecar driver himself–lives a life that’s colored by the loss of his young son, whom he grieves with the child’s mother, Laura (Penélope Cruz). It’s a loss that’s ripped them apart, their relationship now comically and tragically disastrous, symbolized by their constant shouting matches that sometimes lead Laura to produce a handgun to illustrate the intensity of their fights.

Although their marriage is a sham, Enzo and Laura still need each other, as they both own majority stakes in the Ferrari company. It’s a predicament for Enzo, who would rather deal with matters on his own. To that end, we see just how private a man he is, choosing to wrestle with his demons in secrecy. The largest example is his secret relationship with Lina (Shailene Woodley), the “other woman” whom he shares a son with. Meanwhile, Enzo must hide that the Ferrari company is near bankruptcy. It leads him to bet the company and push his drivers to win the Mille Miglia, a 1,000-mile race across Italy which ends up having disastrous results.

Following the likes of the singularly titled Oppenheimer, Napoleon, and Maestro, Ferrari is the latest film of 2023 to tell the story of great, troubled men who were integral to history but lived complicated lives (often at the expense of their female partners). Here, director Michael Mann follows up such classics as 1995’s Heat and 1992’s The Last of the Mohicans–along with more recent films such as 2009’s Public Enemies and 2015’s Blackhat–with another successful film that I enjoyed seeing in theaters. The racing scenes are gripping, and the throttling engine roars make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

What’s more fascinating is that Michael Mann, at 80 years old, seems to be less interested in making an all-out action film, and instead more interested in turning the camera inward to investigate the interior life of a man who, after dedicating his life to his career and passion, realizes he can no longer outrun his grief and guilt nor the failings in his life that now consume him.

Based on the book Enzo Ferrari: The Man, The Cars, The Races, The Machine by Brock Yates, Troy Kennedy Martin’s script focuses on a fascinating time in Ferrari’s life when everything seemed to hit at once. The frankness of addressing infidelity and mortality is weighty, and we get a very vulnerable moment in time from this figure. However, the script and story feel a bit too slick and straightforward. Without much subtext, the dialogue and exposition are oftentimes left to fall flat enough that it feels like we’re sometimes amongst the pit crew, looking right under the popped-up hood to see all of the story’s pistons and parts firing. Yet, it’s all so beautifully visualized that the film–set in 1950s Italy–is a dream to live in throughout its 2h 10m runtime. The film is also lushly photographed by Academy Award-winning Director of Photography Eric Messerschmidt (all the more impressive when you learn that he also photographed David Fincher’s The Killer which was released in the same year).

For all of its technical achievements, the film’s success comes down to its lead performances. Adam Driver brings depth to the lead character that conveys much more than the script even offers. And Penélope Cruz is beyond fantastic, stealing every scene she’s in. Shailene Woodley feels like the out-of-place one here, but her character brings a softness that counters Laura’s fire. For being a story of highly famous Italian people, the film has an uphill battle to climb with how believable its actors’ authentic Italian ethnicities can be. And although they never fully disappear into them, they bring an emotional authenticity that does a commanding job.

With its amazing visuals and incredible period piece production, along with exhilarating racing sequences, Michael Mann’s stirring character study of a tortured entrepreneur trying to outrace his demons is solidly built, even if fails to get past the surface emotionally.

2h 10m. Rated R for some violent content/graphic images, sexual content, and language.