Respect

Rating: 7/10 (13 October 2013)

"Rush" is a formulaic piece that excels in almost every way other than its predictability. It's well acted, well filmed, and has great music to boot. If it wins an Oscar for something I'd expect it for the music first, then perhaps an acting nomination to Daniel Brühl (Niki Lauda) second.
You do not need to be a formula 1 racing fan to enjoy this movie. I have never watched an F1 race in my life, nor even seen an F1 movie before this one. What makes the movie interesting is not the sport, but the main characters and their relationship with each other.
It's a brilliantly acted rivalry between Niki Lauda (Brühl) and James Hunt (Hemsworth). Both turn in A+ performances. By far the best performance I've yet seen from Hemsworth. He proved to me, with this movie, that he's more than just an action star. However he is outshone by Brühl. The film succeeds in showing both the tough exterior and the still tough but different inside personality of Lauda. That's a major accomplishment for both the director and the actor.
What makes Rush worth watching isn't the suspense of what is going to happen next. It's perhaps one of the most formulaic sports movies I've ever seen. It succeeds in spite of that. It's the depiction of the main characters, their rude exchanges, and their underlying respect for each other, that makes it worth the 2 hours.