Sep 13, 2013

Rush Review (North American Premier)

When Ron Howard decided to bring the dramatic and pulsating 1976 Formula1 season to life, expectations sky rocketed, thanks to the amalgamation of two stunning prospects- master filmmaking and the pinnacle of motorsports. In comes 'Rush', truly a roller coaster ride that explores into depth the extremely conflicting characters of two born racers, the charismatic James Hunt and the meticulous Niki Lauda. On that note, I am truly excited to say Rush is more than racing and hence those who don't follow F1 needn't worry even a tiny bit. It throws in humor, virility, love, loss and glamour in plenty. And for those who do relate to the nuances of racing, there's always these imperfections as in one could argue that setting up an F1 car goes beyond fixing handling and power issues and that the technical detailing is fast forwarded. But that's the point, 'Rush' is more of a film with scope for ample creative liberties than a mere silver screen adaptation of the wild era of F1. Daniel Bruhl as the witty Niki Lauda oversteers everyone else in a character that's demanding and at the same time, layered. Chris Hemsworth seems to have underplayed the real James Hunt from what I have read about the 1976 champion but he is able to successfully contrast Bruhl's vision about life and racing. Technically, the film belongs to three pearls of Hollywood- Peter Morgan with a pen, Hans Zimmer with his chords and Ron Howard with a great vision and together they create a monster of a film. They say, the closer you are to death, the more alive you feel and Rush doesn't sway away from this very spirit of racing. Gear up and press your right foot cos this one's a drive to glory!!!