Rush
Director: Ron Howard
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde
Length: 122 minutes
Country: UK/USA
I barely know a thing about Formula One. For me it always seemed like an odd sport to be interested in, you can never play it yourself casually and fans celebrate their heroes with caps rather than shirts, which don’t have much use in this country. I went into Rush hoping I could enjoy it with my limited, at tops Mario Kart infused knowledge and came out thoroughly curious about Formula One. With this film, the writer-director team of Peter Morgan and Ron Howard, who previously created the brilliant historical drama Frost/Nixon, have hit it out of the park once again, or rather, popped the champagne on the top of the podium.
Rush pulls all eyes into the intense rivalry of two famed race car drivers, James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Nicki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) during the ‘70s. Hunt is the hunky British playboy; stubborn but adored by all, manoeuvring outside the tracks with the carefree rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. Lauda on the other hand is the polar opposite in his life outside the driver’s seat; highly knowledgeable and proficient in the mechanics of race cars but a cocky Austrian labelled an asshole by even those in his team. After a fatal crash at the 1976 German Grand Prix that almost took Luada’s life, the film peers into the surprising comeback of the inspiring Austrian as he fights to retain the title as World Champion. Even if the basic story is retold beat for beat from the history books, you can’t help feel a sense of wonder watching the journey of the two equally determined protagonists unfold.
The film also entails a lot of back-story building up to the races. Hunt was a man of many vices; his deteriorating relationship with his wife played by the gorgeous Olivia Wilde gives an insight into a glamorous lifestyle that was held hostage to the limits of seriousness to the sport early in life. The man is portrayed with panache and a half by Hemsworth, never tipping Hunt into a laughable stereotype but rather a sportsman with believable fear and fortitude. Where Hunt powers the film’s intrigue with the manly nature of Formula One through his brawn, Lauda provides the brains that won the Ferrari executives over. Honestly, it’s Brühl’s performance that’s the most fascinating to watch. Lauda’s contradictory personality of being a dick that’s a bloody good driver would have been to tough to crack since he’s such a renowned figure in Formula One even today, but Brühl accomplishes to disappear effortlessly in the role, mirroring Lauda’s real life facial appearance, voice and body language, all in perfect coherence. The narrative of the film never strays far from the personal so characters interacting with Lauda and Hunt have little use other than exposition and entertainment. Christian McKay is an example of one that outright steals scenes with real charm and wit as the upper class man Hesketh.
What did not disappoint throughout the film were the stunning visuals, with race sequences proving to be the highlight of impressive editing and photography
Both the duration and aftermath of Lauda’s crash brings an overtly solemn tone for the third act of the film. Witnessing the sordid ordeal on screen through close-ups of the fiery disaster and the subsequent difficulties in the Intensive Care Unit bring the horror of Lauda’s experience to life. It’s surprising then to see that Rush brings as much humour to these two characters as despair.
What did not disappoint throughout the film were the stunning visuals, with race sequences proving to be the highlight of impressive editing and photography. The camera tilts from car to car, racer to racer, fan to fan, never letting go of the steering in the frame that helps drive the film from an exhilarating pace to a monumental climax.
Director Ron Howard is an expert at baring the strength of the human spirit. Rush is no different in this respect; at its core it’s more than just a film about rivalry and racing but a parable of willpower and self-control that’s crucial for any sport. James Hunt and Nicki Lauda were world champions who had these talents. They were born to drive fast. Watching them battle it out, Grand Prix after Grand Prix, beside the electrifying roar of the crowd is as undeniably exhilarating on screen as it can be in the Silverstone stands.
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