No better script than reality

Rating: 8/10 (11 October 2013)

Originally I planned on not watching "Rush" at the theater, simply because I lost interest into Formula 1 considerably since the Schumacher years. However, finally curiosity got the better of me and I decided to give it a go. Which proved a pretty great choice as Ron Howard's latest movie makes for a very entertaining two hours. I was vaguely aware of the year season 1976, the developments and outcome of the driver championship and Lauda's spectacular crash of course as you get pretty much reminded here every second weekend when you see him being the co-host of current Formula One coverage. Putting Daniel Brühl into perspective to what I see there, I think he nailed Lauda's character and his very own Viennese charm. Of course, it's different to compare with Lauda now being roughly 35 years older than in the movie and I was not even born the year Lauda ended his career, but I think he made a good job in portraying him. Aside from all comparisons to what Lauda was really like, he definitely created an interesting character that had your eyes glued to the screen during every scene he was in. It's not surprising Brühl is in talks for his first Oscar nomination and it's nice to see him back so strongly, after I was a bit disappointed by his work in recent years, especially in "Inglourious Basterds" where his performance wouldn't make my top5 of the film despite having a pretty interesting character.
While Brühl kinda sways between lead and supporting territory, the movie's clear lead is Chris Hemsworth as Lauda's equally talented competitor James Hunt. In fact, he is around 5 years younger than Brühl, but his character is slightly older. I believe Hemsworth made a couple smart career choices recently and, after thoroughly enjoying the first Thor movie, I'm pretty curious about the second, which comes out soon. His character here is a bon vivant who loves drinks, ladies and the sweet life, the polar opposite to Lauda's stubborn lone wolf. And these exact opposites are the basis of the film, the reason why it works so well as an intriguing character study of two extremes clashing. Their personalities also reflect directly on the women with them. While Olivia Wilde as Hunt's wife disappears almost as quickly as she entered the picture, Alexandra Maria Lara as Lauda's wife stays there till the end and we see a good portrayal from her as somebody who's attracted to the danger (their first meeting in the civilian's car), but at the same time constantly worried about her husband's well-being and powerless as she can do nothing but hope for the best.
All in all, I recommend this film a lot. Really, you don't have to know anything about Formula One or racing in general in order to enjoy it for being a great character study. I haven't seen a full race either in maybe a bit less than ten years and it still felt like a compelling watch. The motorsports circus is really just the stage for the two protagonists and except very close to the end there's not that much racing action included anyway. And when there is, it always comes with an impact on the relationship between the two. But even if it's just the stage, all the scenes at the race tracks were executed very convincingly and I never thought that it's all just make-believe. They also managed to convey the aura of the Formula One from the 1970s that has sadly lost a lot of its charm by now. Howard knew that he had to make a film that appeals to the masses and Formula 1, compared to NASCAR, Indy 500 etc., has never been a sport that created too much interest in North America, which is why you don't really find American drivers participating that often either. He managed very nicely and it's a great example of a rivalry that pushed each of the rivals to the limit, often in a good way, and occasionally beyond. What I also liked about it is that it definitely ends on a positive note, possibly with the best scene of the movie with Hunt and Lauda meeting at the hangar, which sums up their relationship perfectly. Subtle criticism for the other's lifestyle, occasional mindgames, but also respect. It's always nice to go out in style as we usually tend to remember the ending more than everything that was before and, if badly executed, it can hurt the film's overall perception a lot. Not so here. Very well done as almost the entire rest of the movie. With this character clash, screenwriter Peter Morgan succeeds at least as much as with the one in Frost/Nixon.