Surprisingly good!

Rating: 6/10 (7 October 2013)

I flip flopped quite a lot on this film. When I first saw the trailer, I thought it looked like another cookie cutter Hollywood film, particularly because of Chris Hemsworth. Then I read up on the backstory about the great rivalry between Lauda and Hunt, which actually created some anticipation. I went into the theater expecting it to be a modern classic after reading the reviews, but within the first ten minutes I was aware of its flaws.
A slightly insipid music score by go-to-guy Hans Zimmer, a seemingly unnecessary voice over that holds the viewer's hand throughout the opening, and a rather rushed beginning. The computer effects for the recreated stadiums and the car races were below par as well. I didn't even get a good 1970s vibe from the atmosphere of the piece. The period seemed glossed over with some by the numbers pop songs to demonstrate different ups and downs in the character's lives. James Hunt is struggling with his celebrity status, so let's play "Fame" by David Bowie, seems like a good match! The whole experience appeared to be very vanilla, as is usual with Ron Howard.
But I hung in there, and by the second half of the film, it had improved dramatically. Daniel Bruhl's performance as Nikki Lauda was extraordinary. He captured perfectly the raw determination, the slightly misanthropic nature of the Austrian rival. He was a bastard, but relatable, and his emergence as the protagonist made me concentrate more on their relationship, which was really the crux on the film, than my petty remarks about the cinematography or score. Besides, the sound design was top notch. While I absolutely detest montages that were used to artificially speed up time after each competition, the races did improve so that by the end, the tension had reached exponential levels. The tragedy suffered by the characters gave insight into the nature of sport and what makes the daring feats and psyche of these men so alluring.
The performances of Chris Hemsworth and Bruhl, and their likeness to the respective people, were extraordinary. The exploration of their personal lives added verisimilitude to the story as well.
Rush is a good film, and while it isn't the best in the past 10 years like some are saying, nor is it Ron Howard's most accomplished work (that honour still belongs to 'Apollo 13' or even 'The Missing') it's certainly one of the better releases this year and a sure fire Oscar contender.