In a sea of superhero movies, Adam Driver says his new film Ferrari achieves something that “doesn’t happen often” in returning to a character-driven style of filmmaking.
Speaking to Sky News, the Star Wars actor explained: “So many people – and you know me too – complain how wouldn’t it be great to again see a character-driven story where spectacle takes a back seat… and I feel like it doesn’t happen often, so I’m very happy to be here talking about this movie.”
The film is set during one of the most testing times in Enzo Ferrari’s life, the summer of 1957 when his company was struggling and his marriage was on the rocks.
Actress Shailene Woodley plays “the other woman” while Penelope Cruz delivers an emotionally wrought performance as Ferrari’s wife, Laura.
Penelope Cruz, Adam Driver and Shailene Woodley at premiere of Ferarri
Driver himself insisting he’s more than just the right name to play the eponymous car entrepreneur.
“By the time we meet him, he was very proud of being a self-made man… he was very specific and particular, constantly looking up how it could be more economical… and that’s a quest that I relate to,” he said.
The film follows the life and career of Enzo Ferrari
“How I worked on films when I was 20… I see so much wasted energy, you know, that I was focusing on the wrong thing.”
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In the film we see Ferrari’s struggles with the press and promoting the movie in real life hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride for Driver.
A clip of him saying “f**k you” to a journalist at a Q&A going viral after they’d rather rudely told him the film’s racing scenes were “cheesy”.
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Actor swears at fan in response to question
But is dealing with the media a necessary evil if you’re in the public eye?
“You can’t control the narrative,” Driver concedes, “It is a thing you have to deal with”.
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While the film is an obvious choice for Formula One fans, the question is whether a wider audience will be racing to cinemas to see it.
Ferrari is out in cinemas on 26 December.