Review of Rush (2013) by Prodigy2013 — 28 Dec 2013

A refreshing entry in the, troubled, Sports movie genre is ‘Rush’. It’s a true story about the rivalry between formula 1 racers; James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Hunt, well played by Chris Hemsworth, is the English playboy with a true talent for racing; and Lauda played by Daniel Bruhl is the arrogant, yet disciplined Austrian racer, with a knack for tactics.

Bruhl does fantastic work in a co-lead performance, by perfectly capturing the physicality of the real life Lauda along with adding a weight of emotion to his character. Peter Morgan deserves some credit for penning these dynamic characters; and guiding the script through a few of its familiar rhythms was Ron Howard.

Mr. Howard may not be an auteur but he knows how to make a good movie; and ‘Rush’ was a damn good one. He manages to elevate the film above the trappings that are typical of movies within this genre; and made it a relatively unpredictable ride, with a pair of fleshed-out characters.

Speaking of ride, Anthony Dod Mantle’s cinematography and the terrific sound mix placed us right in the heat of those intense car races, with fine detail. I was also particularly impressed with Daniel P.

Hanley and Mike Hill’s well paced editing of the film, Hans Zimmer’s bassy score; and the squeamish makeup design and glamorous hairstyles that defined the period. ‘Rush’ was a well oiled machine, that entertains as well as it manages to move the audience.