Great production value, amazing performances

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2013)

Finally. Just when I thought that this year had been without a single highlight with respect to Hollywood (co)productions in general, I had the pleasure of watching this little marvel.
The story is fast paced, well thought of and does not paint its characters entirely in black or in white, like we are used to from other "blockbusters". The effects are great, but without bludgeoning viewers to death with unlikely and unconvincing CGI. The movie lasts about two hours, but it's one of the few instances where I wouldn't even have minded a 2h30 or 3h production, had it included more details about the drivers' lives, their competitors and some more background. It was a gripping mix that left nothing to be desired.
But the most impressive part of it all was the acting of the two main characters (Hunt & Lauda):
Truthfully, I would not have expected such an impeccable characterization work from Chris Hemsworth, who is generally known for solid, but certainly not for overwhelming performances (e.g. Thor, Star Trek). His work here is admirable, translating Hunt's playboy on the one hand and his insecure side on the other hand to perfection.
However, it was Daniel Brühl's brilliant performance as Niki Lauda that put everything else into perspective. Having met Niki Lauda personally and, as an Austrian myself, having seen him interact many times on T.V. and on the radio, Brühl just nailed it with flying colors. The resemblance not only concerning Lauda's appearance, but most of all with regard to his mannerisms is almost frightening. Brühl, as a German, had to learn to talk with an Austrian accent in English AND in German, including Niki Lauds's very specific and rather odd pronunciations. Needless to say he mastered everything flawlessly. Heck, if he ever chose to stop acting, he could start a career as a Lauda imitator. To summarize it, his whole act was extremely convincing, the interactions with everybody else appeared genuine and most of all his enemy/friend chemistry with Chris Hemsworth was brilliant.
I'd like to see one more competition between these two: Brühl & Hemsworth should be nominated, Brühl should win this competition and get the Oscar.
All in all, I'm glad to see that not all hope is lost for cinematic productions and that some movies still focus on their stories and their characters instead of regurgitating the embarrassing tripe that we've been served as "blockbusters" this year (e.g. World War Z, Elysium, Oblivion & many more).