the sport. It shows what a pale reflection today's F1 is of this once great sport, and what great characters we have lost...A real must see movie

characters out of the sport and Bruhl nails this icy determination to succeed magnificently. A particular nod goes to Christian McKay's portrayal as the slightly eccentric, petrol head extraordinaire, ever so aristocratic but hopelessly financially incompetent Lord Hesketh. The camera work is spectacular, none less so than with some very creative angles of the beautifully filmed on track action. The brief in-helmet camera shots are inspired, giving you a glimpse of the drivers world. CGI work will be spotted by the keen eyed, but you have to consider that without it that there are certain scenes involving priceless period machinery the sound of a Cosworth DFV firing up and filling the cinema was worth the ticket price alone that would be just impossible to film as accurately as they were depicted here with real machinery. As a result, they are able to use the CGI sparingly and to good effect.The main facts of the 1976 season are on the whole handled very accurately. Certainly, some liberties are taken with poetic licence, but this is still a scripted film and not a documentary. The factually heavy writing of the script along with beautifully filmed and liberal use of period machinery being recorded at pace on real asphalt will be enough to keep the fans of the sport well represented.It's a gripping telling of the 1976 Formula 1 season, which whilst not sharing the same shear spectacle of Howard's other 'too unbelievable to be true' film Apollo 13, Rush tells a story which would be just too unbelievable in terms of human bravery and personal destiny for any fictional story to be given credence. It's a tale which will be enough to hold the unfamiliar or casual viewer's attention with a steel firm grip to see how the different personalities handle the pressures of life both on and off the track and how rising to the top takes it's tole on these two polar opposite real life gladiators of the race track.With the lead actors clearly committed to giving their best performances yet and a tastefully handled script, Ron Howard delivers a visually impressive account of events that may well become one of his most respected directorial efforts yet.10/10

characters are total opposites but as their lives are explored it also acknowledges the value of an enemy, i.e. something to beat. I believe this is a commentary on human nature in that the best of us shines when we have something to beat or overcome.Do yourself a favour and see it now.

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. Great men!

paced. We are introduced to both characters through their own narrative and scenes that leave the watcher in no doubt as to their background and philosophy on life. The two are first seen in competition in 1970 at a Formula 3 race at Crystal Palace where they have a coming together and sets the scene for the rivalry throughout the film. I'm not sure if this is further artistic licence. The two definitely did race each other in F3, but I am not convinced as to whether this actual incident occurred. After that we are given a whistle stop journey between 1973 when Hunt came into F1 to 1975. We are shown the dangerous nature of F1 at the time with the Francois Cevert accident at Watkins Glen in gory detail – although this does not seem like gratuitous, but necessary to bring home just how unforgiving the sport was back then – and it truly was of the top 12 points scorers in 1976, F1 cars were to claim 3, 1 ended up in a wheelchair and 1 had his career ended by a leg crunching crash . We are then taken to 1976 and that titanic struggle for the World Crown. Only one real issue here – the British Grand Prix result, but I suspect this was simplified in the interests of time. The casting is superb. Chris Hemsworth, an Aussie, does an excellent job on public schoolboy James Hunt, while Daniel Bruhl both sounds and looks frighteningly like the Austrian. There is little room for a supporting cast amongst the drivers which is a shame – only Clay Regazzoni has a part of any real substance. Peterson, Watson, Depailler, Scheckter, Andretti et al could have featured a little more I think. What did their contemporaries think of the two protagonists? The supporting cast is mainly required for Hunt – Lord Hesketh, "Bubbles" Horsley and Teddy Mayer / Tyler Alexander of McLaren, while the Ferrari team principals are rarely seen. The love angle is perfectly catered for by Olivia Wilde Hunt's first wife Suzy and the gorgeous Alexandra Maria Lara - of Downfall fame – as the future Marlene Lauda. Both give quality performances. The attention to detail is superb. Although the tracks are not the actual ones for understandable reasons the cars, the helmets, the sponsors are all authentic. The film "feels" like it's happening in the 70's. For anyone interested in great personal stories, F1, the 70's, cars or just like to see a great film, then Rush is for you.

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. I could see a few awards for this role. I have seen Bruhl in quite a few films and I am always impressed so this just continues the trend. 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. The flair was there but played safe As normal but let the story and the actors take centre stage.If you like History in F1, a well documented rivalry and a film that capture this, watch it. It is similar to the excellent Control, Moneyball etc but with a bit of heart.8 1/2 out of 10

and no matter how talented these men were at driving these "coffins on wheels", every race could spell out death. Rush portrays the clash of two opposing personalities. The long-haired, dashing Englishman James Hunt Chris Hemsworth was all about the adrenaline, embracing the post-race parties and lying with the many women that would throw themselves at him. He was reckless, willing to risk his life and others in order to win, but, as described in the film, there was no better driver in the world in terms of raw talent. His rival, Austrian Niki Lauda Daniel Bruhl , was focused, clinical, and even helped design the cars he would drive. He was the early-night type, 'rat-faced' and cold. In every sense, he's the perfect villain. But where Rush succeeds the most is challenging our early conceptions of these two characters. There's little fun to be had with Lauda, but played by Bruhl, he evolves into the underdog of the movie, perhaps the only one that actually gives a damn about his own life and the life of his opponents. This, naturally, leads to tragedy and a particularly wince-inducing scene in which Lauda requires having his lungs vacuumed, but it's at this point that we realise just what these two drivers mean to each other. As Lauda watches Hunt claw back some points in the 1976 Formula One season, it becomes clear that these two need each other to survive. Their hatred of one another only serves to fuel the flames, and leads to Lauda's defiant early return to the driver's seat, scarred and bandaged. Fast cars, beautiful women and exotic locations hardly sounds like a recognisable workload for Ron Howard, one of the most play-it-easy directors out there. His past films have been unjustifiably successful, critically and commercially, never stamping a recognisable directorial trait onto his work. Yet here, although the bright sheen of the 70's initially takes some getting used to, he has managed to create a world that is very much alive, using snappy editing, a pumping soundtrack and some growing sound design to re-create this world for petrol-heads. But he doesn't neglect his characters, and evokes the great work done on Frost/Nixon 2008 , which was also a study of two giant, clashing personalities coming together on the world stage. Rush is an exhilarating experience, able to distinguish each race from the next and literally putting us in the driver's seat with the use of digital cameras. Although it occasionally drifts into formulaic territory with the introduction of the 'wives' played by Oivia Wilde and Alexandra Maria Lara, respectively , Howard cleverly uses this as an insight into Hunt and Lauda's personalities. Hemsworth is very good in his first 'proper' post-Thor role, but it is Bruhl that you take away from the film. How he gets you to initially loath him, only to be cheering him on at the climax is the work of a great actor, and it's a crime that he has been snubbed by the Academy this year. Hopefully this will inspire a host of decent sports movies, as Rush proves that you can mix character study and even existential musings with the thrill of sport.

years ago.The rivalry between F1 drivers James Hunt Hemsworth and Niki Lauda Daniel Brühl is common knowledge. Just a couple of minutes trawling through Google's gifts will tell you how many championships each driver won, how they met, how they sparred, how they lived and nearly died… Rush isn't a film that tells you their story. Rush is the film that takes you into their world and shows you how that story unfolded in all its fast, crazy, riotous, dazzling, cynical, brash excess. By the end you may still not want to be an F1 driver or even watch a grand prix, but you sure as hell will wish you could have been there for at least some of the 70s.Howard has provided us with a mixed bag of films over the years with schmaltzy, flicks A Beautiful Mind , thoughtful biopics Frost/Nixon , compelling dramas Apollo 13 and utter twaddle Angels and Demons . So which category would Rush fall into? The tension Howard creates is ridiculous. Pistons pump, colours blur, the scream of engines deafen us. The editing is so tight it feels as though something will snap. The anticipation prickles the skin and, though we already know what and when, it is almost too much for us to watch it unfold. Technically, Rush verges on exquisite. The digital creation blends flawlessly with the live action and the skids, tumbles, crashes and explosions are horrifying.But it isn't just with the speed and madness around the track where Howard guides perfectly. The hospital scenes when Lauda is treated are almost grotesque. We find ourselves shying away from the visuals, involuntarily grimacing at Lauda's agony even when he demands more pain in order to drive him towards recovery and revenge.Rush boasts one of the finest film scores of the year so far with Hans Zimmer proving why he is among the busiest composers in Hollywood. It's not that the score that makes the film, but it enhances it beautifully, adding emotional colour to the startling visuals to magnify the tension.The joint leads are on impeccable form. Hemsworth portrays Hunt as the playboy we wish we could be or bed and his charisma doesn't ooze, it gushes. He is arrogant, cocksure, charming and handsome. He makes it obvious why men wanted Hunt's life and so many women welcomed him into theirs. It is a confident, full performance from Hemsworth that marks him out yet again as an actor with a certain chameleon-like quality and undeniable star power. Immediately we like Hunt but as 123 minutes rush by, he evolves into a flawed man we admire but ultimately decide we don't really want to be and, in some ways, pity. It's a fine performance that engages us on every level.When Brühl's The Edukators, Inglorious Basterds Lauda strides onto the screen, it is with purpose, his Austrian directness and confidence taken as conceit and arrogance. He does not suffer fools or almost anyone else whether they are subordinates, rivals or the men paying for his drive. Supremely confident to the exclusion of social niceties, the Lauda we observe puts our backs up immediately but, just as the Hunt on screen evolves, so, too, does Lauda and by the film's end our allegiance has wavered. It is a sensitive performance from Brühl and his understanding of the man he portrays and clear admiration for him infects us thoroughly.Some of the dialogue is lumpy, there are numerous liberties taken with the truth though not to the extent that U571 completely rewrote history! and much is glossed over. Howard has perhaps tried too hard to appeal to a mass audience by focusing on the principal women in the drivers' lives, notably Hunt's wife, Suzy Olivia Wilde and Brühl's, Marlene Alexandra Maria Lara . In Marlene's case, she is relatively impactful on her husband's life, suffering through his accident with him. In Suzy's case, however, though she was influential on a period of Hunt's career, it is difficult to see her as anything other than a bystander in his life and yet Howard sees fit to return to her though she is far from his thoughts.These are minor quibbles that make Rush a very good film instead of a 'great'. Nevertheless, my companion for the film who has no interest in motor racing and less knowledge gave a simple summary: "Excellent." Me? I'm a fair weather F1 fan. If there is a realistic hope of Button, Hamilton and Di Resta winning or there's been enough hype, I'm there. Otherwise it's Formula what? But, as I wrote, Rush transcends the sport. I was gripped throughout, I gritted my teeth, I gasped, clenched my buttocks and willed the drivers to the finish, on the track, in the hospital and in life.For more reviews from The Squiss, subscribe to my blog and like the Facebook page.

a good looking playboy who enjoys drinking, partying and sex and has charisma to boot. Lauda is a serious minded, extremely determined, technically astute and is able to get the most out of a car, but is a cold, distant man who drives people away. 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. Hemsworth and Brühl are in top form as they play these very different men. Lauda is a self- determined man who is willing to risk everything to get into F1, but easily rubs people the wrong way, whilst Hunt had a greater support network, media friendly but is a loose cannon. Both end up becoming each other's hubris as they take bigger risks in a sport that already dangerous.As well as the focus of their profession, Rush looks at the personal lifestyles of the two drivers, particularly Hunt's as he womanizes as Lauda settles down with a woman. Hunt is a thrill seeker who uses pure talent whilst Lauda is aware of the risks of his profession, but does not want to add to them.To anyone who knows about Niki Lauda is he suffers a tragedy and the easy route would have been to make Rocky style picture about someone overcoming adversity. Fortunately, Howard and Morgan made something more interesting by showing both men to be faulted, that Lauda is not a man who is easy to like, making personal digs against and being a very sore loser.At a running of two hours, three minutes, Rush moves along at a very brisk pace. The first 40 to 45 minutes focuses on a six year period as the rivalry builds up. Many story elements are dealt with quickly. A great example of this is when Hunt meets model Suzy Miller Olivia Wilde, who does an impressive English accent in the team garages and the next scene is them getting married. Rush is a movie that tackles many story elements with broad brushstrokes. It does seem like a longer cut may exist.Even though the film is called Rush, Howard and Morgan build up to the racing segments. We get a F3 race near the beginning and then we have a long wait the F1 races. Howard and Morgan focus on three main races in the 1976 season, Nürburgring, Germany, Monza, Italy and Fuji, Japan. Howard shows his technical acumen with the racing sequences, as we get up close to the action on screen with camera being place many on the parts of the cars, in the driving seat and even in the engine and in the air gun during a tyre change. There are intense, exciting sequences as Howard uses stylistic flashes and slo-mo as we see how dangerous races were in the 70s. 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. Rush is a very well-made, engaging and compelling sports flick that is character driven and is about the build-up as well as the racing.Please visit www.entertainmentfuse.com