Race, Rivalry - The good old fashioned way.

Rating: 9/10 (2 January 2014)

In the words of Nikki Lauda,"One can learn more from his enemy than a fool does from his friends".
Ron Howard's epic F1 saga between Niki Lauda and James Hunt is perhaps the best period-rivalry-sporting movie of all time. Needless to say the director's work precedes him (A Beautiful Mind, Davinci Code, Apollo 13). This work will definitely be counted in his scale on the positive side.
Chris Hemsworth's mean swing from Thor continues as the playboy-loose cannon James Hunt who finds himself the perfect foe in the always perfect-self centered-high on himself Nikki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl).
The lead pair brings out all sorts of emotions, from the adrenaline pumping race to the heart melting hospital episode to the power of recovery. Everything has been scripted and played to the point of perfection. Bruhl's accent deserves special appreciation.
With a script that rolls both on and off the track exploring the love life which is affected by the rivalry on the race, this is definitely a front-runner for the Oscars next year.
A must watch for all petrol Heads.