Rush Movie Review

Rush (2013)

Rent Rush on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Peter Morgan
Directed by: Ron Howard
Starring: Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde, Natalie Dormer
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
The merciless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

Verdict
This is more than a racing movie, it's a rivalry between two men that approach their craft at extreme ends of the spectrum. We learn what drives them and why they race, but I do wish this were a better car movie. The racing is secondary to the story, and this could have done so much more in capturing the racing sequences. It does the bare minimum for car scenes, though being based on reality gives the story more weight which helps.
It depends.

Review
This primarily focuses on the 1976 Formula One season and drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl). They are very talented but win races differently Hunt lives life to the fullest in all facets, driving fast and taking chances. Lauda focuses on engineering and preparation. He's boring in comparison, refusing to take unnecessary changes.

Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth play Niki Lauda, James Hunt

Their rivalry starts when an aggressive Hunt clips Lauda in a race, spinning him out. They both are working their way to Formula One. Lauda buys his way in and uses his technical knowledge as leverage to stay.

This movie looks at what makes a race car driver tick. Hunt and Lauda couldn't be more different but both race cars and risk their lives for a living. Hunt is the playboy that lives wild and fast. That's why he races, that recklessness is who he is and why he's good. Lauda is calculating. He's risk averse, as much as he can be when you race cars. The joy in racing is designing a car well and taking it to the limits. He's devoted to the craft of racing. That's why he's as focused on the preparation as he is the racing.

There's more depth to this than most of the movies in the genre as this contrasts these two drivers. Hunt quit racing not long after his world championship. He got what he wanted and moved on to something new. Lauda kept racing because he was devoted to the craft.

Japanese Grand Prix

The racing itself is just okay. The last race is the big one that decides whether Hunt or Lauda is the season champion. It's raining which is dangerous, emphasized because Lauda's devastating crash earlier in the movie was due to rain.

The problem with the racing is that it's never as exciting as I want it to be. We never get a good feel for the tracks and the layout. I desperately wanted a couple of wide shots to show us the track and the racing. What we see is relegated to a few close shots of Hunt and Lauda. We're told Nürburgring is dangerous but this never shows us why. We just have to take the movie's word. It's a famous track, and I wish the movie seemed more interested in racing, the cars, and these famous tracks.