On Rush

Rush is a period piece surrounding the on the track rivalry between Formula 1 drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt. This is a formulaic film that offers no narrative surprises. The dialogue, especially that of the upper class characters, is hackneyed and the voice over’s of Lauda and Hunt are a misstep, attempting to develop the characters instead of letting the narrative do so. The acting however, especially that of Daniel Bruhl and Chris Hemsworth is excellent. The greatest achievement of Rush is in its representation of the sport, from the tactics of the car and the race, to the lifestyle and mostly the danger on the track. Ron Howard’s camera captures the power and speed of these cars and the crashes and Rush only really comes to life when the cars are racing.