I’m no racing fan of any kind, never have and all likelihood
never will be, so my knowledge of F1 and its long history is very basic. The
only time I have managed to follow a season was the end of the 2008 season and
start of 2009 season during my time at University, which was down to my flat
mate being a big fan and a regular watcher. So what I’m trying to say is. If I
make a mistake with a technical term/name or have interpreted something
incorrectly, it’s because I just don’t know.
Rush is set in the
late 70’s through to 1986 and follows the rise of drivers, and eventual rivals
James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) from Formula 3 up to
the Formula 1. I’ll avoid spoilers much as I can, as I went into this film with
very limited knowledge of these two men or their stories. Along the way we see
how their similar privileged upbringings produced two very different men. One
who was very loose and was willing to take risks in every aspect of his life
and the other who was scientific and methodical in his.
The way this film is structured and plays out is very unlike
most historical or biographical films, so much as it focuses on a relatively
small portion of time and even then passes skips years to get us to the crucial
and iconic season.
It also doesn’t focus specifically on either man, instead it
jumps back and forth in sections from one to the other. The early focus is on
Hunt, which sets the film up to be solely about him, before cutting to Lauda’s
rise. Both are handled well and give us enough information and time with the
characters so that when the big races come around we are invested in them both.
Making you choose in effect who you want to see win each race.
Both performances are good, Hemsworth gives us a charming
and likeable man who can seemingly do whatever he wants, can have any woman and
has the support of rich friends. The good times are entertaining, but it is
when his life starts to spiral downwards that Hemsworth gives us the more
interesting side of the character. Dealing with excessive drinking and the
break up of a marriage while trying to do his job.
Bruhls performance is oddly the more flashy and more likely
to get recognition come awards season. There are more ticks and mannerisms to
this performance than Hemsworths, and maybe that is accurate of the man
himself. This is by no means is a criticism, as at times Lauda’s tinkering with
cars and blunt comments are a enjoyable to watch as Hunts antics. Bruhls best
moments come from the crash and beyond. The pain and obsession all feels real
as he desperately tries to recover from a frankly horrific accident.
The biggest star of the film and the thing that kept me
engrossed the most was the look and sound of the film. Never has the noise of
gear changes, tires and engine movements sounded more exciting or captivating.
I hope the cinema you see it in has their sound system as high as the one I saw
it, other wise you would genuinely miss out and one the biggest and best parts
of this film.
Rush is definitely
a stand out film, especially considering the amount of films that are being
released now. The awards seasons is starting to gear up, as is the horror surge
we usually get in October and November. Don’t be put off by the racing elements
of the story, go and enjoy an interesting movie.
