Rush Review

Number 119 on the top 1000 films of all time is the high-octane biopic Rush.

Rush tells the story of two Formula 1 drivers in the 1970s: the British James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth= and the Austrian Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) Their intense rivalry with one another and their rises and subsequent falls from fame are explored.

For me, the biggest problem with this film is that I am just not interested in Formula One or motor car racing.  This was a similar issue I had with boxing films Rocky and Raging Bull, and it isn´t a criticism of the films as such, but rather my perception of them.  As can be expected from a film about Formula One, there was a lot of racing in Rush, which I just didn´t find interesting.

Another problem was with the characters of Niki Lauda and James Hunt.  I know that the producers took a lot of dramatic licence, especially with the supposed rivalry between Lauda and Hunt, which was nothing more than a friendly rivalry in real life, but neither character was very likeable.  Both of them were arrogant in their own ways.  Hunt was a hedonistic, free-spirited playboy womaniser, evidenced by his whirlwind romances with Nurse Gemma (Natalie Dormer) and his wife, Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde)

As an aside, I think that neither of these relationships were portrayed very well.  Both of them were rushed and both characters disappeared as suddenly as they appeared.

But back to the main event, Niki Lauda was very much the opposite of James Hunt.  He was calculating, demanding, cold and didn't care at all what anybody thought of him.  yet he was still quite unlikeable.  Between him and James Hunt, it was difficult to find a character to root for.

Having said all this, Rush was definitely better than other car-racing films like the Fast and the Furious franchise.  And I think this was because it was about more than just cars.  While I might not have liked either, director, Ron Howard, did well to make both Lauda and Hunt sympathetic.

After Lauder is in a horrific car crash, which results in him receiving third degree burns to over 80% of his body, he decides to return to Formula One.  In a following press conference, a probe asks whether Lauder's burns has negatively affected his marriage.  Lauder quite rightly tells the reporter to fuck off, before storming out.  Later, Hunt privately confronts the reporter and beats him up.

While the latter incident was fabricated, this was a great way to demonstrate how both characters are flawed humans.

Although the content of the film wasnºt for me, Rush was still an enjoyable watch.  It had great camerawork and empathetic characters, even if it did play with the truth a little.