cinemacl🎃wn’s review published on Letterboxd:
You don’t need to be a Formula One fan or even be aware of what actually goes on in that sport to truly appreciate this film because what it depicts in its two hours runtime isn't something that's exclusive to that particular arena. This story is about how our rivals sometimes bring out the best in us by challenging our strengths & limitations. One of the finest sports dramas to come out in recent years, Rush is a high-octane & full-throttled ride that delivers the fiery goods in just the right doses with its vibrant pace, kinetic action, arresting music & excellent performances from its leads.
Based on true events, the story is an ingenious recreation of 1976 Formula One season and recounts the intense F1 racing rivalry between James Hunt & Niki Lauda. Hunt is a gifted but cocky British playboy who prefers to live each day to the fullest and gets his kicks from the fear of death when on the racetrack. Lauda on the other hand is a proud but calculating F1 racer who prefers taking his job seriously and relies on his technical knowledge of the sport, disciplined professionalism & precision timing. Their rivalry begins in the 1970 Formula 3 race and only intensifies later as both become obsessed with outperforming the other one, resulting in a contest that eventually made them legends.
Directed by Ron Howard who just like his previous works decides to play it safe by taking this film along the safer routes of conventions but does an outstanding job nonetheless. Peter Morgan's screenplay captures the accuracy of these real events rather well but just like any film adaptation of a true story, considerable amount of artistic license is taken to amplify the dramatic sequences. The authentic set pieces, vivid cinematography & concise editing add more flavours to the narrative while Hans Zimmer once again delivers with a terrific score that infuses an energy of its own and makes Rush a consistently tense & endlessly exhilarating ride.
Coming to the acting department, there isn’t much to talk about apart from the two impressive performances from Chris Hemsworth & Daniel Brühl who play James Hunt & Niki Lauda respectively. Hemsworth here shows he is more than good looks by expertly capturing the cockiness, arrogance, dry humour & devil-may-care attitude of his character. But still, the true show-stealer turns out to be Brühl’s near-perfect rendition of the Austrian legend, for he nails the accent, mannerism, seriousness, professionalism & even looks to a considerable extent. Apart from the rivalry, the story also focuses on their personal lives & loved ones and how they played a vital role in their sport.
On an overall scale, Rush is a welcome entry in the sports genre that may have its share of flaws but most of its footing is spot-on. There are moments of slight dullness during the first half but it quickly makes up for that with its fiery & furious remaining half. The race segments are pure edge-of-the-seat stuff here and is deftly aided by unusual camera angles and outstanding work in sound mixing & sound editing. Retelling the fierce F1 feud between the two absolute best but entirely opposite personalities along with their underlying admiration & resentment for each other, Rush is a brilliantly crafted sports drama that treats its subject matter with respect and definitely ranks amongst the finest films of its year.