"Just give me the drive!"

Rating: 7/10 (7 November 2017)

Not being a racing fan, what intrigued me about the story was the head game rivalry between Formula 1 drivers Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) and James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth). The film begins with Lauda's narration, so one assumes from the outset that he would be the principal character, but the picture is pretty even handed in it's treatment of both men. Diametrically opposed in both temperament and style, Lauda comes across almost boorish in his approach to racing, while Hunt represents the playboy sportsman looking to score with women virtually every moment he's not on the track. As far as that goes, the film probably overdid it in that regard, especially when an injured Hunt with his guts practically hanging out decides to have a fling with a hospital nurse. With all the name calling, middle finger waving and salty language between the two men, I wasn't left disappointed as the story was winding down, in as much as Hunt came to respect his rival as a worthy opponent on the race track. It appeared to go both ways actually, even as one or the other had to accept inevitable defeat from one race to the next. As far as the race footage itself, exciting enough I guess for fans who go for it. For this viewer it was an incidental part of the story.