Film Review: Rush
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Looking forward into the film year, it’s going to be tough for any film to match the kinetic energy that Rush, the biographical racing drama arriving in theaters nationwide this weekend, manages to conjure up. Moving with purpose but never hesitating to show off stylistic flourishes, Ron Howard’s forray into Formula 1 racing history is anchored by two great performances, a solid script and awesome action.
Starting with a flash forward that sees race car driver Nicki Lauda get in his famous accident, Rush tracks the story of the genesis and crescendo of the rivalry he shared with playboy driver James Hunt in the 1970s. From their “humble” beginnings to the heights of fame and success, the film weaves through the lives of these two men, chronicling the ups and downs of their personal and professional lives set against the high stakes world of Formula 1 racing in the 1970s.
I would be hard-pressed to talk about Rush without first going into the reasons the films succeeds, Daniel Brühl and Chris Hemsworth. Both men give great performances in carrying the film on their shoulders, with Bruhl being especially good as Nicki Lauda. It’s one thing to play the character telling the story (his voiceover factors heavily in the tale) but to round out a man as prickly as Lauda is a big feat. Brühl wisely doesn’t shy away from exploring the more abrasive sides of his character but also makes you understand why he is the way he is. Though Brühl will get the lion share of the praise, it was Chris Hemsworth who made the biggest acting impression to me. Yes it’s true he relies on his physique to generate much of the interest in him (you see about 98% of him in the film) he proves in this film that he’s more than just a body. There’s a lot to be said for playing a character similar to how the public views you and tweaking it enough to fit the film you’re in. He’s pitch perfect as the cocky, brash, womanizing driver, giving us every nuance you could get in a character like this.
Allowing them to do this is a solid screenplay, that’s far more of a chamber piece/character study than sweeping period piece or action epic. Rush proceeds in a fairly standard manner with the exception of the flash forward, the script finds its flourishes in the character beats rather than fancy narrative tricks. It’s surprising that the film presents you with this flash forward, then uses 2/3 of its running time to lead up to the crash. Rush in that respect is unbalanced, but seeing the two men’s rivalry is more interesting than Lauda’s car accident and subsequent recovery. Peter Morgan had a tough task writing a film about two engaging, but kind of unlikable people, and did extremely well. The movie does falter a bit with the aftermath of the crash and the voice over bookending the film does wear a bit but it’s solid enough to overcome those issues.
The more I think about Rush, the more impressed I am with the directing choices Ron Howard made in this film. Honestly, Howard is the perfect director for this type of tale. Sure there’s plenty of style in this movie, but Howard all but disappears behind the camera, allowing the actors and crew he’s assembled free rein to explore and play. Howard is gifted in a way that allows a film to explore the messiness and grey areas of life but never stray outside of the story. With a man like Howard at the helm, it’s no wonder that the film reaches the heights it does or that the other technical aspects of the film are as good as they are. A few weeks ago, I went out on a limb saying that this film might pick up some techs in the Oscar race and now having seen the film, I feel even stronger about those, especially in the sound categories. You literally feel as if you are at these races the sound is so good.
Rush could have been such a mess but it manages to be the first real highlight of the fall film season. If you’re looking for a well made film with lots of energy, this is the perfect watch.
Grade: ***1/2 / **** (A-)
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