Films with a sport involved are usually seen as a way of promoting themselves to non-fans. Films like Any Given Sunday, Tin Cup or Chariots Of Fire became popular and not just from the fans of the sports that were involved in those films.
With Rush, the big responsibility for director Ron Howard was to see if he can a) make a great film for the F1 fans because there are not many successful ones and b) bring in non-racing fans, like most of America which is where the main box office comes from for the blockbusters.
I reckon he his has done the best movie possible that mixes in enough racing for the fans to be gripped with, and a story that will have everyone talking about. It is set around an interesting time for the sport of Formula 1. Where the drivers were seen as rock and roll stars, and there was a new breed of drivers on the horizon that will change the fact of this sport.
Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt and Daniel Bruhl as Niki Lauda were great in their roles. Hemsworth was almost Thor-like playing the British playboy and Bruhl is constantly showing how good he is, and I hope he gets more roles in the future. Everyone else is basically a minor, because it is all them. The classic hot and cold personalities clashing, all battling the same thing. But nevertheless, everyone else plays their part well and all the contributions are crucial to the main story-line.
The big pluses are the race sequences which for me as a fan of the sport were absolutely terrifying, and I know what to expect in terms of the dangers involved. So I can't imagine how the non-racing fans will feel. The camera angles involved get you stuck into the action and make you feel like you cannot leave your seat because the pace of the cars is keeping you in. The 1970's setting is perfectly done by Howard and the atmosphere of F1 in that era made it look like it was found footage. You can see the lack of safety there was at that time compared to now, and those racing scenes will prove the viewers how terrifying the sport is. The music is done by Hans Zimmer and that is always going to be epic, and it did not fail. When the credits were rolling, I just had to stay seated and appreciate this talent that Zimmer has. Keep it coming Hans.
The only negative, and I am only nit-picking, is the commentary of the races. It felt like they were spoon-feeding you as to what it is going on and helping the non-racing fans along, to keep it interesting. But like I said, I am only nit-picking, so it is not a major fault.
With Rush, the big responsibility for director Ron Howard was to see if he can a) make a great film for the F1 fans because there are not many successful ones and b) bring in non-racing fans, like most of America which is where the main box office comes from for the blockbusters.
I reckon he his has done the best movie possible that mixes in enough racing for the fans to be gripped with, and a story that will have everyone talking about. It is set around an interesting time for the sport of Formula 1. Where the drivers were seen as rock and roll stars, and there was a new breed of drivers on the horizon that will change the fact of this sport.
Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt and Daniel Bruhl as Niki Lauda were great in their roles. Hemsworth was almost Thor-like playing the British playboy and Bruhl is constantly showing how good he is, and I hope he gets more roles in the future. Everyone else is basically a minor, because it is all them. The classic hot and cold personalities clashing, all battling the same thing. But nevertheless, everyone else plays their part well and all the contributions are crucial to the main story-line.
The big pluses are the race sequences which for me as a fan of the sport were absolutely terrifying, and I know what to expect in terms of the dangers involved. So I can't imagine how the non-racing fans will feel. The camera angles involved get you stuck into the action and make you feel like you cannot leave your seat because the pace of the cars is keeping you in. The 1970's setting is perfectly done by Howard and the atmosphere of F1 in that era made it look like it was found footage. You can see the lack of safety there was at that time compared to now, and those racing scenes will prove the viewers how terrifying the sport is. The music is done by Hans Zimmer and that is always going to be epic, and it did not fail. When the credits were rolling, I just had to stay seated and appreciate this talent that Zimmer has. Keep it coming Hans.
The only negative, and I am only nit-picking, is the commentary of the races. It felt like they were spoon-feeding you as to what it is going on and helping the non-racing fans along, to keep it interesting. But like I said, I am only nit-picking, so it is not a major fault.
Overall, I absolutely loved it. It was everything I wanted it to be. Ron Howard perfectly created the atmosphere of F1 at that time and will attract not just the racing fans, but the racing virgins also. Howard showed that it is not just about Formula 1, or even F1 in the 70's. But it is also about the evolving relationship between Hunt and Lauda, the human condition in one of the most brutal sports in the world and the end of an era within this sport. Back then it was all about the rebels, and Lauda was the birth of the professional racer.
It had me gripped throughout and I was even leaning forward at times. I won't be surprised if this gets a few awards for nominations for the technical side of the film.
It had me gripped throughout and I was even leaning forward at times. I won't be surprised if this gets a few awards for nominations for the technical side of the film.
Rating: 8/10
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