Rush (2013) review

In the world of sports, there have been plenty of rivalries that have stood the test of time, including Yankees-Red Sox, Celtics-Lakers, and Duke-North Carolina. On the racing circuit, there was one rivalry that was certainly on the same level of those iconic rivalries, and that was the rivalry between Formula One drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda, which came to a head during the 1976 racing season. The story of these two drivers is the focus of director Ron Howard’s newest movie, ‘Rush’, a film that succeeds at appealing to both fans and non-fans of Formula One Racing. That is because the film is incredibly well-written in its depiction of these two men and the rivalry that defined both of their careers. Of course, the two outstanding performances from the two leads also help the movie very much. All in all, ‘Rush’ is an exhilarating thrill ride from beginning to end.

 

In the year 1970, a rivalry develops between British driver James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Austrian driver Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) while they are racing in Formula Three. A few years later, the both of them move up to the Formula One circuit, with Lauda being signed by Ferrari (after buying his way onto the circuit) and Hunt joining McLaren after his initial company runs out of money in 1975. Their rivalry continues into the 1976 season, as the two battle each other for the championship, both attempting to one up each other in the process. However, things start to change after the German Grand Prix, as Lauda gets caught in a near-fatal accident, putting him in a fight for his life as he tries to get back onto the track.

 

‘Rush’ is a movie that can appeal to those who aren’t fans of Formula One; not just because of the exhilarating race sequences, but also because of the writing and how it handles the whole ‘rivalry’ between Hunt and Lauda. It doesn’t try to make either one of them ‘the villain’ of the film and gives you reasons to root for both of them. You see them go through their own unique highs and lows. It’s just interesting to see how these two were driven by each other to do their best, especially because of their different personalities. Hunt is the playboy/womanizer with something to prove while Lauda is the cold and calculating tech genius. Sure, it seems like the movie’s a bit more focused on Lauda’s story (technically, the story is told from his perspective), but the two of them are given equal screen-time.

 

Of course, this movie wouldn’t be anything without terrific performances from its two leads. As Hunt, Chris Hemsworth once again shows off the charm that has worked so well for him in films like ‘Thor’ and ‘The Avengers’. As Lauda, Bruhl gives a star-making performance in the role, and the two of them work off each other well. However, while the relationship between them is well-developed, their relationships with their wives are another story. Now, I’m not talking about the relationship between Lauda and his wife Marlene (Alexandra Maria Lara); that’s actually handled really well. I’m referring to the relationship between James Hunt and his wife, Suzy (Olivia Wilde). She plays a very, very minor part in the film (Wilde is really not given anything to do); the two of them are married (rather abruptly I might add; I don’t know if that’s how it was in real life, but that’s how the movie plays it out like), they have very few scenes together, and then they split. There needed to be more between them because what is there is very weak in terms of character development.

 

This film reminds me of 2011’s ‘Warrior’, mainly because that film also revolved around two characters that were both likable despite the fact that only one of them would come out on top in the end. Both films also manage to appeal to those who are not fans of their respective sports, MMA in the case of ‘Warrior’ and Formula One racing for ‘Rush’, because of how well-written they are. The whole relationship between James Hunt and Niki Lauda is very compelling because of how each of them used the other to better themselves as both drivers and people. Hemsworth and Bruhl both give terrific performances, and the film is very exciting throughout. I’ll admit that I’m not a big fan of director Ron Howard’s work but this is easily one of his best efforts to date. ‘Rush’ is definitely a must-see during this awards season.

Rating: 4.5/5