MOVIE REVIEW: Rush

In 1976, on the Formula 1 circuits around the world, two drivers had a rivalry that became legend. Rush brilliantly tells the tale of James Hunt and Niki Lauda, their lives and rivalry, their triumphs and tragedies.

RUSH
Director – Ron Howard
Screenplay – Peter Morgan

Niki Lauda – Daniel Brühl
James Hunt – Chris Hemsworth
Suzy Miller – Olivia Wilde

Rush – Trailer 3

RUSH portrays the exhilarating true story of two of the greatest rivals the world has ever witnessed-handsome English playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) an…

This is a great story about two men, and is brought to us by four: Director, producer, and Oscar winner Ron Howard; writer, and producer Peter Morgan; and the two charismatic leads Daniel Brühl and Chris Hemsworth. Each of these men do a brilliant job, resulting in a great movie.

POSSIBLY THE BEST RACING MOVIE YET

Rush opens big, on the rain soaked Nurburgring circuit, the site of a crucial moment in the rivalry of these men. It then goes back and tells the story of how they got here, using a duel voice-over, giving duel story focus. Neither of them are the center of the movie, giving equal emphasis and screen time to both men’s story. It all feels very 70’s, and it’s the whole look of film, not just the hair and outfits. It also captures wonderfully the feel of racing, be it F3 or F1. The whole movie really draws you in. The time, the cars, the men, their rivalry.

There are two great leads here, giving great performances. Both are engaging, and charismatic, in very different ways. Just like the real men, Niki Lauda and James Hunt. It’s great to see Hemsworth actually act, and it’s good to know that he can. Admittedly, he is playing a good looking charming playboy type, which doesn’t feel like a massive stretch for him, but he is still very good. However Daniel Brühl is a revelation. He is great. Just great. Don’t be surprised to see his name mentioned when we get to award season. Sure, there are lots of other people in this movie, including a blonde Olivia Wilde, and while everyone is good, there’s nobody else that really stands out. The two lads are the center piece, and stand tall over the movie. They have great chemistry together. You can feel their rivalry, and unspoken respect.

HOWARD IS ON TOP FORM

Ron Howard has made some brilliant movies: Apollo 13, Frost/Nixon, and of course Splash and Willow (the less said about The Da Vinci Code movies the better). Fortunately, this is defiantly more Apollo 13 than anything else. Unlike his A Beautiful Mind, which took massive liberties with the truth, this sticks close to the real story. This is thanks to the great script by Morgan, reunited with Howard after Frost/Nixon. The story does cover a lot of the same ground as Days of Thunder, but this is a vastly superior movie, in just about every regard. And the fact that it is based on a true story, and very closely based, means it can be forgiven for any plot similarities to the Top Gun With Cars movie.

There’s no “flashy” direction. This is solid storytelling. Howard uses all his skills, culled from decades of making good movies, to tell this story. It may be a big sugary at times, but the hospital and crash scenes really bring us back to the reality of the danger of the racing. Also, the way he shoots the races is brilliant. It really makes you feel like you’re in the cars with the drivers. The race montages are very cool too, as are the title cards and introductions to each race. It is all very well edited, very kinetic.

BOTTOM LINE- RUSH IS REALLY RATHER BRILLIANT

So… Rush is pretty great. It may not be classic, but it is an incredibly well crafted movie, in just about every way. Performances. Look. Writing. Music. It is a great story, told very well.