Rush (2013) directed by Ron Howard, 3rd September

Plot

Set in the 70s in the wold of Formula 1 focusing on the intense rivalry between James Hunt the gentlemen playboy racer and Niki Lauda the consummate professional racer both on and off the track. Culminating in the final race of 1976 where this final race would determine the championship.

Review

The film starts 6 years before the 1976 championship. Where both James Hunt and Niki Lauda meet and lock horns in the Formula 3 division. Here we have two very different characters where James Hunt is the hard drinking, partying playboy racer with a natural ease with women and people. Whilst Niki Lauda is the cold, abrasive and technically brilliant driver engineer. For all there differences they have both similar backgrounds coming from privilege but ostracised by their families in their pursuit to become racing drivers. The thing that makes them both similar is their hunger and passion for winning and their pursuit to become world champion.

Although this is a film set in the world of motor racing it is more a film of passion and what drives men to risk their lives in the pursuit of winning.

The main leads of Chris Hemsworth ( Hunt) and Daniel Bruhl ( Lauda) are brilliant and the film is dominated by it's two leads giving very little room for any one else. Even the race cars take second place but there is enough of them for you to remember that this is a race film. To be honest there is very little in this film for the leading ladies Olivia Wilde ( Hunt's wife) and Alexandra Maria Lara ( Lauda's wife). Every other character is almost a sideline in this film.

This is the second collaboration between Ron Howard and Peter Morgan after Frost/Nixon. They have focused on the human side of racing and not the cars making this a gripping and intense film. Both have managed to capture the era and give real intensity to the on and off track rivalry. It is also pretty realistic in capturing the danger  and atmosphere of the time by careful use of achieve footage. All that was missing was the petrol fumes.

This is a great film where it pursues the difference and similarities between two men making them both human and in the end you want both to win. As both are heroes and villains at the same time but different in their own ways.

You are still going to enjoy this film even if you are not a motor racing fan.

9/10