A bold and exhilarating sports drama

Rating: 10/10 (14 November 2014)

I don't particularly gravitate towards sports movies, primarily because I'm just not into sports but also because a lot of them are cliché-ridden underdog stories that have been done to death. Not so with RUSH. In what is the best film that Ron Howard has done in years, Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl give excellent performances as James Hunt and Niki Lauda: Formula One drivers whose rivalry gave each other purpose and motivation to succeed. As personalities, they couldn't have been more different. James Hunt was brash, more of a ladies' man and reveled in the fame that being a race car driver afforded. Niki Lauda was more cold, calculating and concerned with the technical aspects of racing, and he could also be quite blunt. What I liked about this movie, aside from the racing aspect, was the examination of these two polar opposite personalities and the way in which they pushed each other forward. There is plenty of screen time allotted to establishing their characters, and once they meet, sparks fly. I thought both Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl did an excellent job in portraying these two men, and made it seem very believable. Of course, this is a racing movie, so the other question would be how that aspect stacks up. No lie, this movie had some of the best, and most thrilling racing sequences I've seen. Ever. Apparently, they had actual drivers (and the actors) drive Formula One cars at high speeds and attached cameras to the outside to capture the feel of what it would be like to be in one of those cars. It was really exhilarating stuff, and it's a pity that I wasn't able to catch this in theaters when it first came out. I also should mention the incredible score by Hans Zimmer, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite film composers. He created an epic feel, not unlike what he did with Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Still, it was distinct from that iconic score and added a lot to the overall feel of the film. There was also a good selection of 1970's classic rock. Overall, there's not a thing I can think of that's even a little wrong with this film. Every aspect of it perfectly displays the skills of the talent involved, and the central story elevates it above your typical sports drama. Even if sports movies aren't your thing, you'd be remiss for not giving this one a try.