From critically and commercially acclaimed director Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, The DaVinci Code) comes Rush, an intense look at the human element of formula 1 racing. Based on an incredible true story of two rivals in the game, James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth )an adrenaline-laced playboy and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl), a stern to-the-books professional, the story shows them as they're thrown into a rivalry that'll test them to their limit and to the very edge of their lives.
What Howard does so well is knowing he has an audience. He's constantly subverting us and keeping us entertained, even if we know how the story is going to play out. With some of the most intense race sequences ever filmed, Howard's film is aptly named. You'll leave the theater with that same adrenaline portrayed on screen. Howard tells a racing story but rather than most films in this genre, it tells it from the human side rather than solely putting the focus on the races themselves. It has enough action to keep the diehard racing fans happy, and even more personal drama to add that extra layer of depth.
What's really jarring about this film is Peter Morgan's script. It's not bad, it's actually quite fantastic. But it's also very confusing. The characters are both written at such an equal ground it's hard to figure out which one to root for. There's no set protagonist or antagonist, which was the intention and it makes for a compelling yet rather confusing watch. The two leads prove to be the most riveting to watch, though. this is Hemsworth's best work to date and he portrays the adrenaline junkie perfectly. He's who I ended up rooting for but that depends entirely on the person. Daniel Brühl gives an electrifying performance as a man who was not accepted by his father for his passion of the sport. The raw emotion he gives his character is remarkable.
Rush is one of this year's best films. It's direction is spot on, especially from a script that could have gone so many different, terrible ways from a different director. The visuals are simply stunning, the final race will leave your knuckles white. The third act is when this movie really takes off - it's emotionally raw, and dramatically intense. Expect to see Rush at the Academy Awards for multiple categories. I give Rush 4 stars out of 5.
Photo Courtesy of EPK