We were glued to our seats

Rating: 9/10 (3 October 2013)

They did a great job portraying the racing scene and catching the atmosphere, complete with 70s cameras and colours. Me and my ladyfriend were kids back then, and we spent those Sunday afternoons glued to the TV whenever there was a F1 race on, so this was a really nostalgic trip too - but the cameras are so much nearer to the cars here, you're inside the action and the angry engine sounds out of a theater PA system really make all the difference - there are moments of pure adrenaline bliss here. It's been a long, long time since I've watched any car race on TV but for my taste, they could have included even more race scenes, they were that good.
All the adrenaline can't save a movie if you don't care, but in "Rush", we do. Both leads are excellent; of course Brühl as Lauda has the meatier and more dramatic role and more screen time but Hemsworth did a great job, too. Supporting roles are also good, with special nods to Alexandra Maria Lara as Niki's wife Marlene. There's a 50 minute doc available on youtube about the Hunt/Lauda rivalry and the 76 championship where you can see a bit of real-life Marlene and she really nailed it. What I missed were a few more of the legendary 70s drivers, only Regazzoni has a speaking part, most others only get a few background seconds.
I liked Hans Zimmer's music, sometimes he's too foreground for my taste but in "Rush", he keeps it subtle.
The real-life story gets a bit condensed for the screen and writer Morgan / director Howard often use a rather coarse brush to paint their characters, but that really doesn't lessen the enjoyment. Highly recommended!