Despite a minor blip, "Rush" performs just the way it should. Delivering great acting, fabulous set pieces and exhilarating racing, "Rush" runs ever so smoothly.

Rating: 9/10 (22 October 2013)

"Rush" (15) Director: Ron Howard Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Natalie Dormer and Alexandra Maria Lara. Running time: 123 minutes. Rated: 15, for containing strong language, sex and bloody injury detail. Out now in UK cinemas.
Set during the 1976 Formula One season, "Rush" explores the rivalry between James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) and the respect that they had for one another.
Back in 2010, the Formula One film was re-born with "Senna", an interesting documentary which looked into the final years of Ayrton Senna's life. Received extraordinarily well by both fans and critics alike, "Senna" was considered to be the (by some people) best film about Formula One in cinema history.
Three years later, Ron Howard ("The Da Vinci Code") decided to direct a film which would appeal to fans of Formula One and the general film fan. It is definite that he has succeeded.
The film begins by telling the viewer the interesting stories behind each character. Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) always acting the playboy routine and Lauda (Brühl) being a straight laced man who goes to bed early and performs well. Entirely different people.
The biopic genre of film is not unfamiliar territory for Ron Howard; as he has directed the powerful political drama "Frost/Nixon" which was a return to his biopic films.
Both actors play their roles extremely well. Chris Hemsworth performs to a degree which we have never seen him before, adapting the playboy persona like a duck to water. However, it is Daniel Brühl who steals the show as Niki Lauda. Olivia Wilde delivers a solid performance as Hunt's wife, Suzy Miller, despite her clearly underwritten part. Alexandra Maria Lara portrays Lauda's wife in a larger role than Wilde's which gives her character time to flourish.
The racing sequences are shot brilliantly. Cameras are placed everywhere on the cars, from gear sticks to the hood; Howard invites the viewer to really take a look into the world of Formula One from a completely different angle.
As the film continues, we are swept along a dark road in which James Hunt takes, whereas Niki Lauda does not; and explores problems with the pair's relationships.
The only problem that I had with "Rush" was that it never explored the undeniable respect which Hunt and Lauda had for each other. In footage of past races, Hunt and Lauda were always close and rarely shared bad words, but here they act like bombs just waiting to explode.
Verdict
Despite a minor blip, "Rush" performs just the way it should. Delivering great acting, fabulous set pieces and exhilarating racing, "Rush" runs ever so smoothly.
9 stars out of 10.