I didnt expect to enjoy this movie at all. Racing cars does nothing for me and I tend to find the high octane machismo fueling the sport pitiful in the extreme. But Ron Howard is such an enthusiastic moviemaker its almost impossible not to get drawn in. Rush looks great and the period is captured spot on. Excellent performances by Daniel Brühl and Chris Hemsworth as Niki Lauda and James Hunt respectively. Tightly wound Austrian nerd v. flamboyant British playboy. Thats the theme of the narrative. In reality the two were excellent friends and perfectly compatible. What makes the movie creepy is starting out on that fatal day at the Nürburgring in 1976 when Lauda suffered his fiery crash and then telling the stoy up to that point in flashback. We know whats coming and think were ready for it. Were not. Its too horrible to the point where I couldnt even watch. Ultimately thats my issue with this movie: that it shows but declines to explicitly condemn a sport that deliberately sacrifices human lives for economic gain. I get that the drivers volunteer but thats neither here nor there. Its just too dangerous. And theres a scene where James Hunt compensates for his own sense of guilt for Laudas accident by brutally assaulting a reporter asking too personal questions at a press conference. The movie invites us to cheer him on and I can only imagine the applause accompanying the scene at screenings throughout the world. Its primitive and borderline fascist. I expect better from Ron Howard. Otherwise it is an exciting and enjoyable movie. And, yes, Chris Hemsworth is a major babe.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Feb 2014 20:45:41 +0000
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