“RUSH” PREMIERES
Had a chance to see Ron Howard’s “Rush” in a movie theatre last night and came away very impressed. It portrays the Formula 1 racing rivalry between Austrian Niki Lauda and Brit James Hunt leading to the climactic 1976 Driver’s Championship. Unlike previous motorsports films, it has an absolutely compelling story line and believable character development. It is also wonderfully cinematic in scope with great attention to period-correct details.
Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt and Daniel Brühl as Niki Lauda are superbly cast, although I think Brühl steals the show with his more complex character. With elegant style, director Ron Howard, writer Peter Morgan, and cinematographer Anthony Mantle have crafted a Hollywood style movie that balances the strengths of previous efforts and introduces additional depth, without stepping over the theatrical edge (although they do straddle it at times).
Earlier Nascar-themed films and the Champ-Car “Driven” had more racing action but suffer from overblown effects and acting. “LeMans” has no real plot but remains the most realistic Holywood racing film. “Grand Prix” from the ’60’s actually shares some similarities with “Rush” and was very well made for its time. For documentaries, “Senna” and “Speedway” (with the Andretti’s) are also recommended.
If you get a chance to see this drama packed movie, jump on it!