"A wise man can learn more from his enemies than a fool from his friends'

Rating: 8/10 (9 February 2014)

'Everyone's driven by something' is the perfect tag line for this intense film by director Ron Howard and writer Peter Morgan that successfully revisits the sexy, glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing in the 1970s. The film is based on the true story of a great sporting rivalry between handsome English playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth), and his methodical, brilliant opponent, Austrian driver Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl). The story follows their distinctly different personal styles on and off the track, their loves and the astonishing 1976 season in which both drivers were willing to risk everything to become world champion in a sport with no margin for error: if you make a mistake, you die. The love interest are provided by actresses Natalie Dormer, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara and the supporting cast is full of fine actors, Pierfrancesco Favino as Clay Ragazzoni among them.
The film focuses as much on the internal struggles these opposite drivers had as much as it does on the racing tracks. Philosophical questions are raised that pertain to any sport and Ron Howard knows ho to bring that into focus. Both lead actors are exceptional, with Daniel Brühl - false teeth and all - turning in a fully realized performance as the severely burned but not battered Niki Lauda. This is an action film with doubt, but it is also a psychological dramatization of a true story that for once works very well on film.