An enthralling character-driven sports movie

Rating: 8/10 (18 February 2017)

Ron Howard's "Rush" tells the true story of the rivalry between Formula One drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) & Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl). Focusing mainly on the extraordinary 1976 season, the film shows both their fierce competitiveness on the track and their struggles off of it. In a sport that could turn deadly at any minute, the stakes are high throughout the entire movie.
The lead actors are two of the film's biggest assets. Chris Hemsworth is ostensibly the star of the film, effortlessly playing the flamboyant but reckless Englishman James Hunt; however, Daniel Brühl's portrayal of the cool & calculating Austrian Niki Lauda practically stole the show, resulting in Golden Globe & BAFTA nominations. Ultimately, though, much of the film's success depends on the opposing styles of these two actors and their interplay with one another, so both of them are deserving of praise. The supporting cast is mostly made up of lesser known (but by no means untalented) actors, with the notable exception of Olivia Wilde as Hunt's love interest.
Ron Howard's direction is as sure-handed as ever. The main characters come to vivid life in the dramatic scenes and, as a result, we're riveted whenever an adrenaline-pumping race scene rolls around. Speaking of the race scenes, Howard and cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle came up with some novel angles to keep the action fresh. On the audio front, the sound design is impressive while the Hans Zimmer score provides another crucial (though largely unheralded) element.
In the end, though, despite quality acting and technical prowess, the strength of the movie arguably resides mostly in its gripping storyline. If you're aren't already familiar with the incredible true story of the 1976 F1 season, I'd recommend knowing as little as possible going into this movie. It's one of those stories that was just crying out to be filmed and, thankfully, Ron Howard and company did justice to it.