It’s been a little while since his last really impressive film (probably Frost Nixon in 2008), but Richie Cunningham has absolutely smashed it with his latest movie Rush. Perfect cinematography, a great cast, an era defining storyline and sparkling dialogue are all brought together on the Formula 1 biopic and Ron Howard’s meticulous direction and production is the glue that binds it all together.
The story is that of the rivalry between F1 drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt as they progress through the F ranks from Formula 3 up to their F1 championship winning years in 1975 and 1976. It was an intense battle of opposites with James Hunt’s rock star-like devil-may-care attitude and Lauda’s meticulous and disciplined approach to driving. All of this contributed to a manic media frenzy at the time, which was heightened by Lauda’s fiery crash part way through the ’76 season.
Niki is played immaculately by Daniel Brühl (Good Bye, Lenin!) bringing the spirit of his intense dedication to the big screen as well as looking every bit the part in the role. His counterpart James Hunt is portrayed just as brilliantly, but understandably very differently, by Chris Hemsworth (Thor: The Dark World) who might have seemed like an unusual choice to begin with, but he fitted the part very well, delivering wry whit and swagger to his performance.
Plummy British comedy is added to the storyline thanks to the presence of Stephen Mangan (Postman Pat The Movie) as McLaren team manager Alastair Caldwell and Julian Rhind-Tutt (Green Wing) as Hesketh team manager Bubbles Horsley. There’s also the “superstar” money and ostentation of Lord Hesketh, played by Christian McKay, to add a lot of charm to the early story of Hunt’s rise to racing superstardom.
The glitz of Olivier Wilde (Tron Legacy) as Hunt’s wife and model Suzy and Alexandra Maria Lara as Marlene, Lauda’s wife, adds to the F1 glamour that cuts through the film. It’s boosted by Hunt’s many lady liaisons, which range from Nursey to a mile high club ugly bump with an air stewardess in first class.
Written by Peter Morgan, the dialogue is tighter than the corners and curves of some of Hunt’s best manoeuvres. The interview scenes and general cutting chats between Hunt and Lauda are great viewing, building the magnitude of the rivalry that ran between the drivers.
While there’s inevitably a certain element of artistic license from both Morgan and Howard, the film is a stunning biopic that feels like it captures the spirit of the time brilliantly. With great driving action sequences, amazing chat and an awe inspiring true story to work from, Rush is a genuine joy to watch. For anyone that watches the film and wants to relive some of the driving magic of 70s F1 driving, the cars Lauda and Hunt drove are both playable in Forza Motorsport 5 and you can race Brands Hatch in the F1 2013 game.
Rush film review: 4.8/5
