I am not a fan of Formula One racing, Nascar, or any other type of racing. There are certainly great racing scenes, but luckily this film is about a dramatic rivalry between two Formula One racers.
We see these two rivals compete to be the best in Formula One racing. The film is set in the 1970’s and focuses on the 1976 Formula One season. While this movie has racing, it is more about the growth in character of the two rivals. We see two distinctly different personalities. James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) is a hot-headed, very talented racer who likes to party. He leads a very sexual life, having countless one night stands and never being able to fully commit to a relationship. He lives on the edge and sees every race as a thrill and as “cheating death”. Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) is a man far more focused and driven, He focuses on technical aspects such as increasing the speed of his car by building it differently. He keeps people at a distance and isn’t liked by others. He doesn’t care about people liking him, he’s more set on being the best.
Both Hunt and Lauda play off each other and help develop each other’s character. They each build relationships with women, one that works and one that doesn’t. Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde) and Marlene Lauda (Alexandra Maria Lara) both act very well, but their roles in this film aren’t nearly as important as the two main characters. Both Suzy and Marlene are used to show important aspects about Lauda and Hunt. Olvia Wilde’s character isn’t very fleshed out, making Alexandra Marie Lara’s role take the upper hand in terms of substance.
The racing scenes show the sheer furiosity and power of the race cars. They emphasize how dangerous the sport is and the fact that making a simple mistake could cost you your life.
The two rivals begin to understand each other and become friends, but that never diminishes their rivalry. After a series of disappointing films, Rush shows Ron Howard at the top of his game. The performances of Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl are top-notch. I would say that despite the promotion showing Chris Hemsworth as being the lead, that Daniel Brühl is the real star of the movie. This Formula One film did not disappoint.
Some notes:
-The scene in the hospital was one of the toughest movie scenes I’ve had to watch in a while. The tube being put down Lauda’s throat to vacuum his lungs. These scenes were cringe-inducing.
-Hans Zimmer’s score was excellent and fit the movie perfectly.
-My favorite quote from the movie: “The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel. It’s a wonderful way to live. It’s the only way to drive”.
Rating: 8.0/10
jpatreviews 
Thought they told the story brilliant in this film, a good review!
Agreed! The story kept me interested in the rivalry of the two main characters. I’m glad it wasn’t a typical movie that was just about racing.