MOVIE TIP

Ferrari

Considering this film is about the car maker Enzo Ferrari and is directed by “Miami Vice” maestro Michael Mann, I was expecting lots of races — shiny, sleek, roaring vehicles flying down a track. And there is some of that. But the bulk of “Ferrari” is about the romantic triangle between Ferrari, wife Laura and mistress Lina. His son with Laura died of a severe type of muscular dystrophy, something she, in her raging grief, blames on Enzo. Unbeknownst to her, he has fathered another, younger son with Lina. That story has potential, but it plays like a drab kitchen sink drama. Penelope Cruz nearly saves it, thanks to her fierce performance as a mother still devastated by her child’s death. Adam Driver transforms utterly into the driven Enzo, who is consumed by his business. Shailene Woodley, though, is way out of her depth as Lina. Did no one think to get her a dialect coach so she could sound at least a little bit Italian? But, oh, the scenes of Ferrari’s car whipping their way through the Mille Miglia road race, navigating switchback roads in the idyllic countryside and accelerating through the scenic but dangerously cramped streets of its cities! That is when “Ferrari” excels.

– Kristina Dorsey

WEB TIP

“The Secret Joys of Geriatric Rock”

The Atlantic Daily

Staff writer and not-getting-any-younger essayist Tom Nichols uses a concert experience — recently seeing ’70s flamboyant and innovative the Tubes — to explore the nuances of whether the continued deliverance of “colostomy rock” by elderly musicians, and the enjoyment and celebration thereof by similarly decaying fans, is … well, what? Is it OK to be old and still like rock? Is there a cautionary “shouldn’t you be embarrassed?” element to getting off the couch and creaking to a venue to see heroes of yore – particularly when all parties should properly be in bed to get ready for the next day’s pickle ball tournament? Nichols is eloquent, reasoned and freakin’ joyful. And, yes, the Tubes is a particularly excellent act for a compare/contrast dynamic; for a refresher, consult a video of their hit “White Punks On Dope.”

— Rick Koster

MOVIE TIP

The Boys in the Boat

The nonfiction book “The Boys in the Boat” by David James Brown was fascinating and rich in detail. It could have made a phenomenal movie. This adaptation is solid, absolutely, but a little too sentimental and staid. It tells the story of Joe Rantz, who was abandoned by his father and stepmother when he was just a young teen in early 1930s Seattle, while the Great Depression made jobs scarce and living difficult. As a student at the University of Washington, Rantz (played by Callum Turner) joined the rowing team as a way to get his tuition paid for and to get a place to live. He and his underdog teammates not only beat their blue-blooded Ivy League competitors but made it all the way to the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. It’s a feel-good tale, for sure, but the script by Mark L. Smith simplifies the story more than necessary, and director George Clooney presents it all in an old-school way. Even so, the fight in these guys will still get under your skin.

– Kristina Dorsey