Rush

Plot synopsis:
The following is based on a true story. The film opens at the German Grand Prix in Nurburgring in 1976. Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) looks to the sky and narrates that he and James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) have long been considered rivals, though he doesn't know why people think that. As the race commences, the two of them, along with the other racers, speed off around the track.SIX YEARS EARLIERWe see James Hunt going into a hospital with his uniform looking dirty and his nose is bloodied. When he introduces himself, everybody is stunned. He's is treated by a cute nurse named Gemma (Natalie Dormer). She tends to a wound on his abdomen done by another man using a crowbar. He tells Gemma that they had a disagreement over the man's wife. She asks what he did, and he says only what she asked him to, which he offers to show Gemma. Cut to the two of them having sex at home...more than once.James takes Gemma to the Crystal Palace circuit to meet his crew for a Formula Three race. He starts puking, which concerns Gemma, but she's assured that he does this before every race. That's when James sees Niki Lauda coming around for the first time. The two enter the race, with Niki nearly winning until he spins out and his motor heats up, giving James the victory. Niki confronts James afterwards, calling him an asshole, but he gets laughed off by James and his mates.We learn from Niki that he comes from a family of politicians and economists. He asks his father for a loan to allow him to enter a Formula One racing team, but he refuses. Niki takes out a loan from the bank himself and uses it to buy his way in. He has his own car made as fast as he deems it should be, and has racer Clay Regazzoni (Pierfrancesco Favino) drive his car across the racetrack, proving it to be faster than the team's previous car. Niki convinces manager Louis Stanley (David Calder) to let him enter with his own car under the conditions that he has a spot on the team and he gets a two-year contract even though he's just a rookie. Later, Regazzoni bumps into Niki, saying he noticed he was talking to the pretty track manager. He informs her that her last boyfriend was also a racer, who was crazy and "an immortal fucker". It was James.James's team, Hesketh Racing, gives him a new car to race with, which he loves. He takes it to the racetrack at Watkins Glen as they drive for Formula One now. An accident takes place there, putting James's nerves on edge and causing him to throw up later.While in the Hesketh garage, he visualizes himself racing when he meets a model named Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde). Within a short amount of time, the two are married. After the wedding, James is told that Niki is set to drive for Ferrari.Niki is seen driving one of Ferrari's car, saying it's a piece of crap. He later officially signs on for the team. Afterwards, Regazzoni drives with Niki to a party, but Niki stays outside. He spots a beautiful woman leaving the place. Her name is Marlene Knaus (Alexandra Maria Lara). He asks for a ride and she allows him to join her. On the road, he critiques the car and her driving, up until the car breaks down in the middle of the road. Marlene manages to get two Italian men to stop, and they get excited when they see Niki. Marlene doesn't realize who Niki is, but she convinces him to drive fast for her. He does so, speeding through the road and thrilling her and the other two men.The 1975 Formula One racing season takes place, with Niki winning the world championship. Later at a party, James speaks to Niki, who thinks all of James's flash and showboating doesn't mean anything. This gives James more of an incentive to prepare for the following year's championship to beat Niki.James goes to the Hesketh Racing garage to find that it is closed because they missed the deadline to secure sponsors. James drowns his sorrows in booze and cigarettes, then gets angry and lashes out at Suzy. He later meets with the managers of the McLaren racing team, in which he is able to secure a position.The 1976 season begins. Niki wins in Brazil and South Africa with James placing second. James comes in first in Spain but is disqualified because the back of his car is deemed too wide. Niki secures more victories in Monaco and Belgium. To make matters worse, James learns that Suzy is having an affair with actor Richard Burton. After meeting with her one last time at a bar, they settle on a divorce. When he steps outside to greet the press, he makes a joke of the divorce as his easiest win. Later, James's disqualification is removed and his car is adjusted to fit the standards.Niki and Marlene get married in a private ceremony and spend their honeymoon in Spain. That evening, after some fun in the pool, Niki tells Marlene that now that he's found happiness, it has become an enemy of his, because he now feels he has something to lose.During practice for the German Grand Prix, an accident takes place and a racer's leg is terribly broken. Niki holds a meeting with the other racers and racing officials, saying that because of the rainy weather, it would be too risky to race, and so it should be canceled. James then leads the others to think that Niki's doing this so he can maintain his racing points, while another racer suggests that Niki is frightened. Niki admits that he is frightened, as the rain increases his risk of dying out there, but he knows everybody else is just as scared. Although some racers join the vote to cancel the race, the majority rules that the race continue as planned.The race goes on, with both James and Niki using rain tires, which they are forced to change at the pit stop because the track dries up quickly. During the third lap, a suspension arm in Niki's car breaks, causing him to swerve off the track and crash into a wall, resulting in the car becoming engulfed in flames. Two other cars hit him, and some racers run to pull Niki out as he catches fire. He is taken to the hospital where six doctors and 34 nurses tend to him, and it is reported that his condition is worse than it was previously believed. Marlene hears of this news over the radio.Over six weeks, Niki recovers in the hospital, albeit with third-degree burns to his face and toxic fumes in his lungs. His lungs are vacuumed out, and the top half of his head is disfigured. All throughout his stay, he watches James continue racing and earning more points. When he is able to get back on his feet, Niki tries to put his helmet back on, but the burns on his face make it painful. Marlene tells him to stop, but he tells her that if she loves him, she'll let him do this.Niki makes his return to the racetrack. He is met by James, who says he tried to write him a letter while he was in the hospital and that he feels responsible for what happened to him. Niki responds that James is equally responsible for getting him back behind the wheel after watching him racing on TV.During a press conference, Niki answers questions regarding his recovery and plans to continue racing. One reporter asks how his wife reacted when she saw his face. Niki replies that she told him he doesn't need a face to drive, but rather, the right foot. The reporter asks again if he thinks his marriage will suffer because of his disfigurement, to which Niki says "Fuck you." After the press conference, James confronts the reporter and punches him repeatedly in the face for the question, then telling him, "Go home to your wife and ask her how you look. Prick."The final race comes at the Japanese Grand Prix, where it is raining harder than in Germany. Before the race starts, James and Niki acknowledge each other and give a friendly wave and nod to one another. As the race goes on, Niki takes the lead over James, but he begins to think of Marlene. He forfeits the race to avoid risking his life again, and he rejoins his wife. James continues the race under the intense conditions, and he is forced to make a late pit stop when the rubber on his tires starts wearing out. As he finishes the final lap, the scoreboard reads that he placed fifth, which would mean he missed out on the championship. However, it is reported that he finished third, allowing him to win. While he celebrates his victory, Niki and Marlene leave in a helicopter. She asks him if he's alright, and he says yes, because he has no regrets.Following his win, James continues about his playboy lifestyle and endorses several products. While in Bologna, Italy, he goes to an airfield to find Niki, who has taken up flying planes. Niki implies that he would have won if he continued the race, and it was unacceptable for James to take all those risks. Before James leaves, Niki tells him that he had gotten something big in finding an enemy. James smiles and goes back with his friends.The film ends with brief footage of the real James Hunt and Niki Lauda.Niki narrates again saying that James retired two years later. When he died of a heart attack at the age of 45, Niki felt sad, as James was one of the few people he respected, and, to this day, the only person he envied.

Tags: flashback

Review:
In 1976, the rivalry between two brilliant racing car drivers, the British James Hunt and the Austrian Nikki Lauda, came to a head in the almost literally life-and-death struggle of the Formula One championship.
American director Ron Howard ("Apollo 13", "A Beautiful Mind", "Frost/Nixon") and British scriptwriter Peter Morgan (both play and screenplay of "Frost/Nixon") have done a terrific job bringing the titanic struggle to the big screen, aided by some excellent casting and powerful sound and cinematography.
Mr. Ron Howard is a great story teller, this movie is about human nature, love and tears.It is difficult to make a good movie about car racing, especially to make one for the time period from 1970 to 1976.
You will feel like you are really there watching the racing, it's really unbelievable.It is truly touching to see each character played their perfect role for this movie, Chris Hemsworth did a great performance, he is such a talented and devoted actor.
The sport nowadays is little more than advertising on  wheels, but when the likes of James Hunt and Niki Lauda battled it out  on the track, epic rivalries were created, and no matter how talented  these men were at driving these "coffins on wheels", every race could  spell out death.
Having seen the trailers and TV set-up (BBC as a Grand Prix insert) I was thinking OK so I've probably seen the best of this and it's going to be 'clunky' in parts or too far up it's own a$$.But hey we can all be wrong, Ron Howard has added depth to a story I knew well, the presentation has a feel for the era the colour's are sometimes harsh and edgy.The set pieces are well researched, the owners of some of the classic F1 hardware must have had an enjoyable time (not quite so sure about the Insurance Underwriters).Where the story hits the spot for me is the acting of the main protagonists, they have life and depth.
Hemsworths presentation of James Hunt is uncanny it's like a documentary he's almost as good as Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln.If your not a F1 fan or from the 70's it may not be more than a blokes film, but give it a go it is going to end up being a important as Apollo 13 in the life of Mr Howard and quite frankly is by far the best car racing movie ever.
As a Cineworld Card Holder I was invited to a screening last night of Ron Howards new movie Rush.Before I start...I am not a F1 fan, but I knew enough of the history of the main protagonists to appreciate the film.
I'd seen James Hunt in interviews and recently watched footage with Niki Lauda so got an idea of the characters.The film is bang on in period, cars fashion and sets the tone excellently, the cinematography is nothing short of breathtaking and the fx are very much in keeping with the period, no ridiculous CGI.The acting, on the whole is nothing short of miraculous, Hemsworth and Bruhl are fantastic, particularly Hemsworth, who's accent, mannerisms and natural acting was a big surprise.
All the support actors are very good in smaller roles.The film is well paced for 2 hours and quite graphic, particularly a few accident scenes.Direction: Ron Howard - nice job, I'm not a massive fan and particularly after the da vinci/Angels fiasco's a big return to decent form.
Amazing direction by Ron Howard, strong performances by Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl (he exactly sounded like Niki Lauda).
Such an amazing night.The movie is based on the rivalry of Britain's McLaren F1 driver James Hunt and Austrian driver Niki Lauda who represented Ferrari at the time.
''Rush'' is a very good film about the rivalry between two Formula 1 race car drivers and their lives behind it.
Despite it being a sports film about racing, ''Rush'' never fails to develop its characters, its story and its suspense thus delivering a deeply satisfying conclusion.Beginning with the film's performances, one would expect to see little character development, acting and emotion but a whole lot of action.
From its brilliant script that infuses humor, drama, and a story about a fascinating rivalry to its impeccable and detailed oriented direction, this film succeeds on every level.Ron Howard's direction is extremely noteworthy as I felt like a part of the journey and involved with the characters as I cheered them on.
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.
This movie is the most apt adaptation of the real life events between the F1 racers Niki Lauda and James Hunt.It is obvious that the crew and cast have worked sagaciously to make this as good (and better) to describe the relationship between these two racers perfectly to the real life characters that the movie is based upon.Every scene in the movie has been exciting till the very end and towards the end the viewer would only feel the awe of the whole experience.
It's a lean, mean telling of the intense rivalry between race car drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda.
Luckily Howard's directing and the performances of these two are some of the finest I've seen in a long time.I also really like the fact that Rush is more than just a sports film about racing.
Fortunately two men with great experience at adapting true life stories, Ron Howard and Peter Morgan, have taken this project on, giving us a movie that is about a clash of ideals and personalities as well as about the drive of motor sports.James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) are racing drivers with different approaches and philosophies whose rivalry starts in Formula Three racing.
Soon the men's rivalry see them battling it out in Formula One leading to the 1976 season where back-stabbing, danger and disaster affects the sport.As a sports movie Rush is a very well made and entertaining film that focuses on its characters ideals and differences.
Morgan also uses a similar montage trick he used in The Damned United to quickly build a picture of the '76 season with Howard using title cards to the sequence a bit of flash.The story about James Hunt or Niki Lauda could have made for a compelling movie on their own terms, but Howard and Morgan give us two films in one.
The drama centers on the rivalry between two drivers, James Hunt and Niki Lauda, and the movie follows each man's unlikely rise to the top ranks of the Formula One circuit.
The Two lead actors are well cast and convincing even the makeup for Lauda's facial injuries are near perfect, it just goes to show that when Ron Howard when he's on top of his game what he can give to the screen.Very little archive footage is used and this is at the end of the film which follows up life after the 1976 championships.
Rush tells the true story of the heated rivalry between two Formula 1 drivers; playboy and hot head James Hunt (Thor) and level-headed and calculated Niki Lauda (a brilliant Daniel Bruhl).
The amazing true story about the on-and-off-the-track rivalry of racers James Hunt (Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Bruhl) should be ripe pickings for good filmmaking.
By concentrating on the relationship between two drivers and with a great screenplay by Peter Morgan, Ron Howard gives the best film ever about motor racing .
When I finish watching this film, I thought "who else but Hemsworth and Bruhl could act Hunt and Lauda?" While some films that based on a real story chooses to use the actor who is in totally different impression to the original person, this film makes you feel like you are watching real Hunt and Lauda racing each other again.Spectacular story (of course), awesome CGI (especially the "heavy rain") and again, the noise of engines....If you are F1 fan, watch it.
Rush (2013) Director: Ron HowardThis movie narrates the true accounts of the sporting rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt, F1 racing champions in the mid 1970's.Director Ron Howard returns to his brilliant version as a story-teller after crowd-pleasers like the two Robert Langdon movies and the middling movie 'The Dilemma'.
Didn't realize then that I was going to see it in a movie.Howard does a good job setting up the back story of characters – Hemsworth (Thor) as Hunt and Bruhl as Lauda – about their appetite for racing, cars and success.
'Rush' is a biographical sports drama, capturing the drama off and on the race track between rival race car drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda during the 1976 Formula One motor-racing season.'Rush' builds up well, and after a decent first half, it delivers with an immensely satisfying and exciting second half, complete with powerful acting, excellent music score, intense race sequences, and firm direction.A dramatic and highly watchable movie not to be missed, Hans Zimmer is as reliable as ever when staging moving music, and during the final races his score is profoundly important to getting your nerves on edge for the showdown between the two Formula One racers.
The cinematography was amazing, the performance with Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl as James Hunt and Niki Lauda respectively was phenomenal, the race scenes were really exciting and all in all it was a great experience.The film did have bad language, but in drama films, the bad language does work to its advantage.
I finished seeing this movie with no words on how to talk about it, its simply superb, I had already known all of the history and what happened between Hunt and Lauda, but it was told so perfectly by Ron Howard that it made me run trough the room shouting, of course its not a movie for everyone, its a movie for few people, people that know the automotive culture and people that know what rivalry can make you do, and of course, besides all the history there is the amazing photography and acting, that alone make this movie one of the best things I have ever seen, this is whitout any doubt a must see if you are a real fan of the whole automotive culture, only because, for me, it is the greatest racing movie ever made.
From the fast pace story narration due to the fine editing to background score and visual effects, we must recognize the A1 quality of the production house.This movie portrays about the 1976 Formula 1 season where two new comer drivers from Europe, James Hunt and Niki Lauda are considered the top rivalries to grab the world championship title.
With Schumi lying in a coma, this movie is really painful to watch, knowing just how dangerous a life he lived on the tracks for two decades, only to be bought down by another sport which doesn't even remotely compare to the Grand Prix tracks' fatality.the wretchedly twisted ironic face of life, that isI was skeptic about this movie at first, it being a car racing movie with Hemsworth in the lead role and the only face on the posterbut in the first ten minutes of viewing it, my skepticism just blew away like marbles off a race car tireAlthough Hemsworth's performance was surprisingly great, the shining diamond of this movie is, without questions, the lesser known actor, Daniel Brühl.Both actors perfectly grooved into their characters as history's greatest Formula 1 rivals, James Hunt and Nicki Launda, right down to the accent and mannerisms.
A period biopic, it has a similar look and feel to Tom Hooper's The Damned United, and while it also shares a writer (Peter Morgan), this film isn't buoyed by the same standard of cast.The story concerns the rivalry between Englishman James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) as they work (or buy) their way up from Formula 3 and compete for the 1976 World Championship.
Ron Howard, i have to take my hat off to you, you have annoyed me on the grid walks at the F1 races for the last 6 months with his over the top American nature but his excitement must have been fuelled by his masterpiece that he has created.I Highly suggest, either prior to watching it or post film, you watch the documentary on them with the real life footage and you will see how to each minor detail of Niki Lauda's (Daniel Brühl) facial expressions, his rat like teeth, his confident yet calculated persona and James Hunts (Chris Hemsworth) arrogant, lavish, reckless aura.
The script is solid and I think really encapsulates the era of Formula 1 when more often that not drivers either died or got seriously injured as a consequence of participating in the F1 world championship.The film is also beautifully shot, and really takes the audience back to that era in a visual sense.The best racing movie ever made is an understatement, this was an excellent job all round by everyone involved and did justice to one of Sport's most intense rivalries.Highly recommended..
It's an excellent film, great cinematography, great acting, it's Chris Hemsworth best performance, and the actor that plays Nikki Lauda, Daniel Bruhl, what great actor, he was in the movie inglorious bastards, couldn't really tell at the moment cause he looks so different.
Racing fans will appreciate the mild technicality of the F1 scenes, but EVERYONE will love the meaningful message and themes that Ron Howard successfully portrays through these two characters.I wasn't fully familiar with the Hunt-Lauda rivalry prior to the movie, but even if I was, I really think this movie is a fresh new look at these two important F1 figures and their interaction with each other.
Based on the true story of the Formula 1 racing rivals brash English playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and his tough methodical uncompromising opponent Austrian driver Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) during the 1970s.Director Ron Howard has great skills to put together a top notch movie.
Based on the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda, Rush is a magnificent movie that will grip the audience even if they have no interest in racing.Nicki Lauda, played by Daniel Bruhl, gave up the chance to manage his family's business back in Austria in order to become a racer.
"RUSH" is the incredible true story of Formula 1 drivers Jim Hunt and Niki Lauda in the epic 1976 Grand Prix.
Its a a biographical movie based on professional rivalry of two Formula 1 drivers in 1970's;Austrian driver Nikki Lauda(Daniel Brühl) and British driver James Hunt(Played by Chris Hemsworth).Kudos to director Ron Howard and writer Peter Morgan,direction is crisp and enthralling.
To create a story of real life events and famous people require a talent,never even heard about this two formula biggies ever but characterizations and story is so compelling that for me now Nikki Lauda and James Hunt are more dominating better Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alanso the F1 drivers who i have seen driving and know about.Power of movie is that it seems literally like a biopic as happens with food everything is refined and balanced to create a perfect taste.Racing sequences of 70's are portrayed authentically.Acting almost flawless: Both drivers in reality were pole opposite;Nikki lauda as more serious and unsociable taken to a awesome performance by Daniel Bruhl and reckless James Hunt played By Chris Hemsworth to a new degree of For me one of the best movie of the year till now,many will not agree with me,but its based on real people and as per that frame ,Director had created masterpiece.
One of the best scenes in the film shows, in amusing fashion, that for Italian men the only things in the world more exciting than a beautiful woman are a fast car and Formula 1 driver.Jame Hunt, a brash and sometimes offensively arrogant playboy, navigates his McLaren "bomb on wheels" by instinct and guts; Nikki Lauda, a calculating and sometimes offensively arrogant technician, drives his Ferrari by the book, assessing risk and reward like a bond trading statistician.
'Rush' is a grand prize from Ron Howard and should be cherished by fans of Formula 1 racing as well as movie-goers who simply like a tale of triumphant human spirits.
The script is great, the director does a fine job to get you to the edge of the seat as you watch the racing scenes as well as the strong dialogs.Hunt and Lauda are the most interesting characters since a long, long time.
Chris Hemsworth stars as James Hunt and Daniel Bruhl (whom you may remember as the lovestruck Nazi soldier in Inglourious Basterds) as Niki Lauda, two Formula 1 race car drivers in the 1970s who had a fierce rivalry.
Rush is not your run-of-the-mill movie in the sporting drama bandwagon which caters only to F1 enthusiasts.F1 fan or not, the way Howard has showcased the legendary rivalry between F1 greats, Niki Lauda and James Hunt makes for compelling and intense viewing.
Combining larger-than-life characters with white-knuckle racing thrills, 'Rush' Is not just one of the best sports movies we have seen, but indeed one of the very best films that you'll see this year..
I think those merits alone would already make Rush a great movie.The film contrasts between Hunt and Lauda by their traits and goals.
This is the first film I've seen in a while where I can see myself watching this over & over again in the years to come.The movie is based on the unbelievably true story of James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) & Niki Lauda's (Daniel Brühl) rivalry during the 1970's in Formula 1.
This is an incredible movie and I'm sure even if your not a Formula 1 fan, or even a sports fan, you will find something in the drama of the legendary rivalry between Hunt & Lauda, that is Rush!