Ron Howard is a director that easily falls prey to melodrama, cheese, and sentimentality. His Oscar-winning A Beautiful Mind is an audience favorite, but that film is soapier than Tide and Dove. However, his 2008 boxing-match of a film, Frost/Nixon avoided sentimentality like the plague. It brings me great pleasure to say that Rush is in the same boat as Frost/Nixon: a ruthless, unforgiving film that will leave you satisfied once out of the theater.
As you may have heard, this film follows the 6-year Formula 3 (and famously Formula 1) rivalry between ruthless Brit James Hunt and calculating Austrian Niki Lauda. Hunt, played by God of Thunder Chris Hemsorth, has charisma and humanity, while Lauda, played by German Daniel Bruhl, is the straight man of the story. Their rivalry, scripted by the great Peter Morgan, is engaging, intelligent, and unbiased.
For a film that spans six years of racing, but spends most of their time on one, it is tautly paced. The prior five, although necessary, is slow buildup to the legendary rivalry that was discussed on the news and seen on the television. Again, I must emphasize that Morgan and Howard make it believable.
If I were to complain about anything the film does wrong, its the narration at the beginning and the end of the movie. It feels sentimental, cheesy, and highly unnecessary. Rush isn't a perfect movie, but if you want an Oscar contender, adult entertainment, and a blockbuster, Rush satisfies wholly.
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