Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl.
Director: Ron Howard.
Rating/Volume: 8.3 (36,200)
My rating: WATCH
Source: Cineworld Cinemas (in 2D)
"I'm not into race car driving" said my Mum when I asked her excuse for not going out to see Rush (#186). I could see her point. At one point I wasn't even going to bother with this film. Largely for the same reason I never bothered with Senna. My lack of interest in F1 was mostly to contribute with the addition of my low knowledge of the film itself. But I am eternally pleased I did; and so was my Mum! Not only do I think this is an amazing story but it's phenomenally acted and it's even got me to appreciate F1. No wonder this film promptly entered the IMDB 250 list not too soon after its release.
A brief context for you, this film by Ron Howard (director of Cinderella Man and Frost/Nixon) follows the intense rivalry between the two drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) during the infamous 1976 season of formula 1, where drivers life fast and always carry a 20% risk of death around their neck during every race.
First off, as I mentioned in my The Fifth Estate review, Daniel Brühl is the talent to watch this year. His portrayal of Niki Lauda in this film was incredible. Perhaps the best performance I have so far seen in 2013. Not only did he look exactly like him (the resemblance to the real Lauda is uncanny) but he played the part so accurately. The raw emotion he inspired during all his scenes, especially when he was going through his treatment in hospital, was awesome. He managed to strike the balance between ruthless and cunning while still making the audience really root for him. I can't overemphasise how well I think he did. I think he is actually my favourite part of the film. The only downside to his performance was the fact that, in my opinion, he shamelessly overshadowed Chris Hemsworth. This is the second time this has happened to poor Chris. First with his tyrannical, fan-favourite, Asgardian brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in the Marvel's Thor franchise and now this. I'm confident that soon enough Hemsworth will find his rightful place as the unchallenged lead in his own film, but for now he is definitely on the right path. Both actors did so well.
The tone of this movie is fantastic. Think The Damned United but with an a-list cast. And throw in a little Fast and Furious for good measure. Ron Howard has directed some great films in his time. Granted, some are not so great. But this is definitely one of his finer works of art. I personally loved Frost/Nixon. Any film depicting 60's/70's Britain I find fascinating and, for me, this film did this triumphantly. It was accurate on every level; you could almost smell the cigarette smoke. I think this is evidence that Howard excels when he has a good, true, hard-hitting story to tell. This story has captivated the racing community for decades and is regarded as one of the most exciting seasons in the sports history. They definitely focused on showing this. It was even more exciting and tense on screen. The car scenes in this movie were so much fun. They were fast paced and realistic. This, along with the depth of the characters, you could really feel the danger these drivers faced. More importantly, you really cared about what these drivers had to lose. Keep up the good work, Ron; and stick to the biopics!
Overall, I think what I think makes this film accessible to everybody (and not just car enthusiasts) is its uncompromising plan to stick so closely to, and go into so much depth about, the intense rivalry between Hunt and Lauda. This is a story solely about these two characters. What drives them. They are the polar opposites of each other and and yet you find yourself rooting for both of them. This is an inspirational film that must be seen in the cinema. If you make the choice to see one film this weekend, before it leaves, make it this one. You won't be disappointed.
Now, I'm going to ask you to go and watch it yourself. It's currently in cinemas everywhere. Feel free to send me a message at reviewthe250@gmail.com with any comments and your own views and opinions and don't forget to leave a comment down below.
Be sure to hit the Share button down below! Also you can follow me on Twitter @reviewthe250 !
Thanks for reading!
William
Next: The Dark Knight Trilogy; Reviewed!
The tone of this movie is fantastic. Think The Damned United but with an a-list cast. And throw in a little Fast and Furious for good measure. Ron Howard has directed some great films in his time. Granted, some are not so great. But this is definitely one of his finer works of art. I personally loved Frost/Nixon. Any film depicting 60's/70's Britain I find fascinating and, for me, this film did this triumphantly. It was accurate on every level; you could almost smell the cigarette smoke. I think this is evidence that Howard excels when he has a good, true, hard-hitting story to tell. This story has captivated the racing community for decades and is regarded as one of the most exciting seasons in the sports history. They definitely focused on showing this. It was even more exciting and tense on screen. The car scenes in this movie were so much fun. They were fast paced and realistic. This, along with the depth of the characters, you could really feel the danger these drivers faced. More importantly, you really cared about what these drivers had to lose. Keep up the good work, Ron; and stick to the biopics!
Overall, I think what I think makes this film accessible to everybody (and not just car enthusiasts) is its uncompromising plan to stick so closely to, and go into so much depth about, the intense rivalry between Hunt and Lauda. This is a story solely about these two characters. What drives them. They are the polar opposites of each other and and yet you find yourself rooting for both of them. This is an inspirational film that must be seen in the cinema. If you make the choice to see one film this weekend, before it leaves, make it this one. You won't be disappointed.
Now, I'm going to ask you to go and watch it yourself. It's currently in cinemas everywhere. Feel free to send me a message at reviewthe250@gmail.com with any comments and your own views and opinions and don't forget to leave a comment down below.
Be sure to hit the Share button down below! Also you can follow me on Twitter @reviewthe250 !
Thanks for reading!
William
Next: The Dark Knight Trilogy; Reviewed!
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