Rush

Film (2013)

With Chris Hemsworth (James Hunt), Daniel Brühl (Niki Lauda), Olivia Wilde (Suzy Miller), Alexandra Maria Lara (Marlene Lauda), Pierfrancesco Favino (Clay Regazzoni), David Calder (Louis Stanley), Natalie Dormer (Nurse Gemma), Stephen Mangan (Alastair Caldwell), Christian McKay (Lord Hesketh), Alistair Petrie (Stirling Moss), Julian Rhind-Tutt (Anthony ‘Bubbles’ Horsley), Colin Stinton (Teddy Mayer), Jamie de Courcey (Harvey ‘Doc’ Postlethwaite), Augusto Dallara (Enzo Ferrari), Ilario Calvo (Luca Di Montezemolo)

James Hunt, handsome, dashing, charming and long-haired, was one of the British leaders of car racing in the 1970s. His close rival, Niki Lauda, was tight, reserved and uncharismatic, but equally talented, determined and focused. Together, they battled through seasons of competition, forging an unlikely partnership based on their matching drives to win and their opposite approaches to doing so.

I hesitated before going to see this film, thinking that I was not as much of a car racing fan as I might be and that it would, for that reason, be boring. I am very glad I dodged that impulse. This is a really good film. Though it has a lot of racing stuff in it, the focus is about character and relationship.

The writing is exceptionally good. How does one take a sports rivalry and turn in into searing drama? Somehow this script does it and the result is satisfying and interesting. The two characters are beautifully drawn, and though archetypal in many ways, neither is stereotypical. Each is a strong proponent of his type, but not rigidly so, and that is what makes the film interesting.

There are no stars playing here, which is kind of a relief. Chris Hemsworth, who plays James Hunt, looks something like Brad Pitt, but it’s refreshing that it’s not. The depiction of these two very different guys who came out of nowhere to become huge racing stars plays well with these fine actors who are not big names.

Both of them do exceptionally good jobs conveying the bitterness of the rivalry, the determination that each bears within, and the particularities of character that signify who they are. Ron Howard’s direction is exceptionally good, evidenced by the general high level, of acting, and of care and artistry with which the film is conceived and constructed.

The film is also very well edited, almost a requirement for a car racing film to succeed. But, even in the non-racing scenes, the editing is highly crafted.

This car racing film is a touching story as well as a riveting and suspenseful sports drama. I would never have guessed it from the subject matter, but, considering Ron Howard’s range of successes in various thematic arenas, a success here should not be such a surprise.

– BADMan