Movie Review - Rush

Rush **½ (R) This fact-based story of the rivalry between two European Formula 1 drivers in the 1970s is probably most appealing to fans of the sport, but more suspenseful for those who don’t already know what happened during their head-to-head matchups. Chris Hemsworth plays the hard-partying golden boy, England’s James Hunt; Daniel Bruhl co-stars as the decidedly charisma-impaired, smart and serious Austrian, Niki Lauda. Both contribute voice-overs from their characters’ perspectives in addition to the live action. The film covers a few years of their ascent from the lower levels of competition to getting their shots at the annual top-dog honors.

In the skilled hands of director Ron Howard, and the budgets he can command, superb sets and vehicles are deployed to fine advantage - especially the racing scenes. One needn’t be a Formula 1 junkie to enjoy the proceedings, since the script focuses far more on the yin and yang of two polar opposite personalities, both individually, and how each influences the other. The lads had more of a 200-mph bromance than either realized, with smart, clever dialog that may seem surprising for racing films, until you notice it was written by two-time Oscar nominee Peter Morgan, whose track (accidental pun) record includes the screenplays for Frost/Nixon, The Last King of Scotland and The Queen. (9/27/13)