Rush Review. The Film Delivers The Danger Of Formula 1 Racing Right To Us, & We're All The Better For It.

Rush Review

By: MattInRC

September continues to impress with the high-octane drama Rush.

Apollo 13 director Ron Howard once again writes the book on real-life heroism, producing a compelling and exhilarating study of one of the most famous Formula 1 race car rivalries of the 1970's. An often deadly affair, this sport swallowed up both men and corporations determined to own the road. But what the sport needed was a rivalry to match the menacing machines that sometimes won the day. Enter the British driver James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and his nemesis Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl), both with wildly different styles but similarly determined to win. Lauda is a brilliant but misunderstood engineer/driver whose banker father looks down on his abilities, while Hunt is the cocky playboy who's as comfortable with his threesomes as he is on the racetrack. Neither likes each other from the start, but both see their careers in parallel as they peel off from the minor-league F3, straight into F1. Early on, it's Lauda's redesigned Ferrari that dominates Hunt's flawed McLaren, but he soon catches up, turning 1976 into one of the most memorable in the sport's history.

A film about this kind of brinkmanship needs more than a compelling race to keep our attention, and that layer arrives in the form of two women: Lauda's wife Marlene (Alexandra Maria Lara) and the model Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde), whose marriage to Hunt creates its own ugly public rivalry. Even with these injections of story, it looks early on like Rush will spin out, as the Hunt/Lauda spat will be overtaken by 70's excesses. But when a horrific accident befalls one of them, the film soon matures into a story about the dedication of both men to see through the dangers inherent in F1 in an effort to emerge on top. The result grows on you, until at last one finds themselves cheering for two of the most unlikable men ever portrayed as heroes on the big screen. That's not a bad thing by any stretch.

Brilliantly shot by Director Ron Howard and Slumdog Millionaire Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, Rush isn't here to merely occupy space but to exist, rumbling like the massive engines under the men who tried to contain them. Howard and team are in perfect form here, balancing visceral track scenes with plenty of powerful drama and small doses of humor, as Lauda and Hunt compete and hate on one another to our delight. There's also a gritty 70's feel to things - it's not just the costumes and scenery that Howard gets spot on, but the actual shooting effect he utilizes. We're wisked back to the graininess of the 70's (not something I care to do too often) instead of being forced to see it through the yes of a modern camera set up. Along with his direction acumen, Howard casts an unlikely but dynamic duo as his anti-heroes. In most situations, I would be hesitant to cast Brühl, but here he shines as the despised but overachieving competitor. He has a natural way of making you both dislike his arrogance but respect and even root for his success; the humble-looking Brühl portrays that swagger with a know-it-all mentality that comes off as totally enjoyable. Hemsworth seems to improve upon his resume with each film, delivering James Hunt with all the penache of a 70's alcoholic and party boy who can't keep still for his love of racing. The two play the opposites to near perfection, ready to punish one another on the course one minute, engage in some tongue lashing the next, then defend the other when F1 or a reporter asks something stupid.

The only thing keeping me from awarding it top honors is Writer Peter Morgan's treatment of the women, whom he seems content to display as either disposable love interests or who are limited to long woeful stares of their men, or glorified as playthings for Hunt to wrap his huge arms around. Even Maria Lara goes topless here, while Wilde's character disappears for long stretches in Acts 2 and 3.

I can't think of a recent film that has captured the thrill and danger of racing like Rush. In a world where high-profile crashes make headlines and fans pay hoping to see them, Howard has concocted a gripping product, even if some of the pieces feel a bit out of place. Bolstered by terrific performances and the pulsing power of Composer Hans Zimmer's soundtrack, it's an octane-induced thrill ride that will leave your knuckles white. Rush is rated R for sexual content, nudity, language, some disturbing images, and brief drug use and has a runtime of 123 minutes.

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