RUSH Movie Review - Ron Howard Delivers Awesome Intensity!
I freakin' love Ron Howard! Not in a creepy fanboy kind of way though. He just knows how to make great films, and he delivered another one with Rush. I know nothing about the Formula One racing scene, but you don't need to know anything about it to enjoy this film. It's a solidly good story, with a fantastic script, great actors, incredible direction, and it's intense as hell!
From the opening shot of this film I was pulled into this vibrant world of the 1970s. Howard is a great storyteller, and one of the things I liked about this movie most was how he portrayed the two main characters, James Hunt played by Chris Hemsworth and Niki Lauda played by Daniel Bruhl. Both actors gave amazing performances, but the characters themselves were fleshed out so well. I loved seeing their rivalry evolve throughout the course of the film. I really cared for both characters, and I liked that I was rooting for both of them. They had very different personalities that could be considered unlikable, but at the same time I found aspects in both that I was able to relate to. Seeing these two character interact with each other in the film was a real treat. They had great chemistry and brought intensity and humor to the story.
The Formula One setting was tremendous, and I loved that I basically knew nothing about it while watching the movie. I was just engulfed in this new world that I've never really cared about before, and it was so fascinating that I got lost in it… in a good way. I know I'll never be a part of this world, I probably will never even jump on board and watch Formula One racing. But it's the behind the scenes stuff that you don't see that I find most interesting. It was a fun ride while I was watching the movie! It's kind of the same way I feel about baseball; I think it's the most boring sport on the planet, but damn, there has been some incredible films based around the sport.
Then there's the racing sequences themselves. Howard did such an awesome job bringing them to life. You really felt the speed, rush, and fierceness of the sport. They were so damn exciting! I loved all of the different points of view that Howard showed us throughout the races, outside and inside of the car. He shows us different aspects of the race cars, and even takes us inside the helmets of the drivers. There was something about that that made me feel a little claustrophobic. These guys don't have a lot of room in these chars, and it looks uncomfortable as hell.
Rush is going on my list of all-time favorite sports dramas. It has a fantastically satisfying ending as well. These two men spent years trying to beat each other, but without each other they would have been nothing. This is one of those films that needs to be seen. I highly suggest you watch it as soon as you get a chance. This film has everything that we love about the movies.
If you've already seen it tell us what you thought!