The actors who front a movie and do press for it play no part in the larger creative or decision-making process for that movie. The only exception is when the same actors also serve as producers, but that's not the case with Adam Driver and the upcoming Ferrari film.
On Christmas Day 2023, Santa has one big surprise for auto enthusiasts with the release of Ferrari, the highly-anticipated and often-delayed big-budget Enzo Ferrari biopic. Technically, it's not so much a biopic as it's a retelling of the most difficult year in Enzo's life, both professionally and personally: 1957, the turning point for Ferrari as a legacy automaker.
The film is directed by Michael Mann and sees Adam Driver take on the Enzo role after Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman dropped out.
Initial reviews praise Driver for delivering a very convincing performance, even though he's much younger than Enzo was at that point (he's 39, Ferrari was 59). Not that there was any doubt for his fans, but Driver has the gravitas and the talent to bring to life such a complex and iconic character as Ferrari was.
Not the same goes for the crash scenes. Early screenings have left critics divided about the more intense action scenes, which, they say, rely too much on CGI (computer-generated images). This over-reliance is even more jarring when contrasted with the practical effects used in the rest of the film.
Photo: Screenshot | Ferrari first trailer
On Sunday, Driver was in Poland for a paid Q&A and a screening of Ferrari at the Camerimage Film Festival, and the question of the CGI-ed crash scenes came up. Video of his response has since gone viral, with fans praising him for being his usual thick-skinned celebrity and critics claiming this is proof that, despite his merits in front of the camera, he is rude, unprofessional, and obnoxious when they're not rolling.
"What do you think about [the] crash scenes?" one man in the audience asked. "They looked pretty harsh, drastic and, I must say, cheesy for me. What do you think?"
Driver’s reply came after he took a drink of water and was blunt enough to make this snippet of the interview go viral. "F*** you. I don't know? Next question."
Before you check out the video, bear in mind that, as stated in the lede to this story, actors are never involved in the larger process involved in making a film, let alone asked about their thoughts on the effects added in post-production. It's an ironic situation to be in, where you're “the face" of a movie but are often talking about it without even having seen the finished version, but it's reality.
We're not saying this was the case here, but it's definitely strange to ask an actor about something he clearly had nothing to do with. Unless, of course, you're hoping to provoke just the kind of reaction Driver had.
Controversy and over-reliance on special effects aside, Ferrari drops on December 25. The critics' consensus is that it's worth seeing, even though not perfect. But it must count as a must-see for auto enthusiasts, right?
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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