Movie review: Rush - driven

Rush is an attempt to understand one of the greatest motorsport rivalries during the Formula One championship in 1976.

Life can be explained through the idiom of sport. The famed-UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once put it this way: Win or lose, courage is what lasts. For those who follow the Formula One championship, one historical example of courage superseding the glory of victory came in the shape of the rivalry between Nicki Lauda and the late James Hunt in the 1976 season — a watershed in the history of racing.

Now these men have been brought to life by actors Daniel Brühl and Chris Hemsworth in Rush, a biographical action film written by Peter Morgan and directed by Ron Howard. It documents the struggles of the two sportsmen as they compete for the greatest glory — the Formula One championship.

The complexity of the rivalry between Lauda and Hunt is addressed in a relatively quick manner. We see the two drivers growing out of competing with each other based on mutual respect, despite the desire to push each other to the maximum on the racetrack. Back then, each racing season, one or two drivers would routinely be killed and building a career in the sport meant making sacrifices and taking risks. The difference between both Lauda and Hunt, as seen by Howard, stems from their different approaches to life and the sport itself.

Daniel Brühl is an effortless Lauda, emerging head and shoulders above the rest of the cast. He puts forward a well-crafted performance, much like the racer himself. Hemsworth of Thor fame, too, fits nicely into the role of James Hunt with believable and passionate acting. Actor Olivia Wilde plays a small role as Hunt’s wife, Suzy Miller, whose character in the film is stunted in comparison with that of the support-system wife Marlene Lauda played by Alexandra Maria Lara.

Director Howard, whose legacy as one of modern-day Hollywood’s greatest, has always been challenged by his inability to address nuance, skillfully presents the high-octane action sequences. They are invigorating as the background score thrills the viewer to the edge of the cinema seat. The film’s success is based on its ability to accurately show and transmit the feel of the inside of a race-car, the surrounding track and the atmosphere around a heart-stopping race.

The storyline tends to veer towards the formulaic and Hollywood cliché, which as a result undercuts the rich theme of the rivalry between the two men who were closer to each other than what was popularly perceived. And so while the film fails to delve into their lives, it nonetheless beautifully interprets their struggles on the racecourse where the men are ultimately defined.

Rush is packed with action, bravado, and glamour through savvy cinematography. The combination has probably brought viewers closer than ever to the elitist and male-dominated world of Formula One racing. It is a must-watch and will go down as one of the better sports films in recent times. Its action and cinematography alone will carry it far.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, October 13^th, 2013.