Rush (B or 3/4 stars)
Ron Howard is known for making slick, smart, crowd pleasing movies. For me, they range from great (Apollo 13, Cinderella Man) to very good (A Beautiful Mind, Far & Away, Splash, Parenthood) to good (Frost/Nixon, Ransom, The Missing, Willow, Cocoon, The Paper) to okay (The DaVinci Code, Angels & Demons, Backdraft) to substandard (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Dilemma). Wow ... that's a lot of movies {haha}. And now, he gives us 'Rush', a visceral film about Europe's Formula One car racing that I'm sure many of us never imagined he would tackle. And of course, he does a swell job. I'd put in in my "good" category. The race scenes (lensed by Anthony Dod Mantle) are kinetic. But too much of the plot felt both rushed & rote. More on that later.
'Rush' is based on the true story of the 1970s rivalry between Formula One drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth, Thor) & Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl, Inglourious Basterds, Ladies in Lavender, The Bourne Ultimatum). I don't know a thing about Formula One, but the movie does a good job conveying specific details while keeping us entertained; I never felt bombarded with facts. The majority of the movie offers a dramatization of the 1976 Formula One season, when Hunt & Lauda went head-to-head for the world championship title. Since most viewers won't know the ending, it won't be discussed here, even though you could find the result online anywhere. Hunt & Lauda both begin the film as cocky young upstarts whose own self-images fuel their antagonism towards one another. The Brit, James Hunt, is a reckless, self-obsessed partier, while the Austrian-born Niki Lauda is a cold, methodical, & fairly off-putting misanthrope.
Both of them thrive behind the wheels of their automobiles, yet struggle to live straight lives among actual human beings -- their best friends are their cars. James Hunt drinks too much alcohol, smokes too much dope, & sleeps with too many women (Natalie Dormer, and a blonde Olivia Wilde - who he marries, but she then leaves him for ... of all people ... Richard Burton). And the humorless Niki Lauda constantly struggles to relax & have a good 'ole time. He even says to his wife (Alexandra Maria Lara) that he fears happiness. To him, happiness can take his focus away from winning world championships.
Now, for us moviegoers, watching these guys defeat each other race after race is quite suspenseful. Their competitiveness fuels their fire on the racetrack. And when Niki Lauda suffers a horrific, life-threatening injury late in the film, the ensuing races take on real stakes. Howwwever, the depiction of Hunt/Lauda's everyday lives is fairly generic; with drama amounting to little more than macho posturing of 2 arrogant sports idols. Too many scenes felt routinely executed. The race scenes got my blood racing, but my blood ran cold for much of the expository/domestic scenes. In other words, there were no big emotional payoffs, for me.
Still, the race scenes (shot to look like footage from the actual era) are expertly mounted. Most of them occurred during blinding rain storms, which only heightened their intensity. Hemsworth & Bruhl are charismatic as the main characters. Bruhl particularly impresses with a 'screw you' kind of bluntness that hides an inferiority complex. One interesting note: Bruhl is a relative newcomer & will get a Best "Supporting" Actor campaign for Academy Award recognition. But really, the story is nicely balanced btwn. Hemsworth & Bruhl. Neither is hero or villain. They are flawed, but vulnerable men. And Bruhl is a co-Lead, if anything. But this kind of marketing move harkens back to Old Hollywood when lesser-stars went automatically into "Supporting" consideration, even if they were the main character.
I could also see 'Rush' receiving accolades for its editing (loved crawling inside the driver's head during the action), the aforementioned cinematography, production design, sound design, & make-up. I like how the film reveals the psyches of these 2 men who only feel thrillingly alive when they're on the brink of death. Ron Howard crafts all of his movies impeccably; and with typically modest budgets. That said, Howard also has a reputation for sanitizing his films, a bit. They are mainstream, palatable, & easily digestible. 'Rush' has its R-rated sex scenes & profanity, but it STILL feels somewhat, I don't know, unexceptional. I appreciate Howard's intelligent, skillful entertainments. I'll never forget those exciting race scenes. I just wish that the rest of the story was as engaging.
'Rush' is based on the true story of the 1970s rivalry between Formula One drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth, Thor) & Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl, Inglourious Basterds, Ladies in Lavender, The Bourne Ultimatum). I don't know a thing about Formula One, but the movie does a good job conveying specific details while keeping us entertained; I never felt bombarded with facts. The majority of the movie offers a dramatization of the 1976 Formula One season, when Hunt & Lauda went head-to-head for the world championship title. Since most viewers won't know the ending, it won't be discussed here, even though you could find the result online anywhere. Hunt & Lauda both begin the film as cocky young upstarts whose own self-images fuel their antagonism towards one another. The Brit, James Hunt, is a reckless, self-obsessed partier, while the Austrian-born Niki Lauda is a cold, methodical, & fairly off-putting misanthrope.
Both of them thrive behind the wheels of their automobiles, yet struggle to live straight lives among actual human beings -- their best friends are their cars. James Hunt drinks too much alcohol, smokes too much dope, & sleeps with too many women (Natalie Dormer, and a blonde Olivia Wilde - who he marries, but she then leaves him for ... of all people ... Richard Burton). And the humorless Niki Lauda constantly struggles to relax & have a good 'ole time. He even says to his wife (Alexandra Maria Lara) that he fears happiness. To him, happiness can take his focus away from winning world championships.
Now, for us moviegoers, watching these guys defeat each other race after race is quite suspenseful. Their competitiveness fuels their fire on the racetrack. And when Niki Lauda suffers a horrific, life-threatening injury late in the film, the ensuing races take on real stakes. Howwwever, the depiction of Hunt/Lauda's everyday lives is fairly generic; with drama amounting to little more than macho posturing of 2 arrogant sports idols. Too many scenes felt routinely executed. The race scenes got my blood racing, but my blood ran cold for much of the expository/domestic scenes. In other words, there were no big emotional payoffs, for me.
Still, the race scenes (shot to look like footage from the actual era) are expertly mounted. Most of them occurred during blinding rain storms, which only heightened their intensity. Hemsworth & Bruhl are charismatic as the main characters. Bruhl particularly impresses with a 'screw you' kind of bluntness that hides an inferiority complex. One interesting note: Bruhl is a relative newcomer & will get a Best "Supporting" Actor campaign for Academy Award recognition. But really, the story is nicely balanced btwn. Hemsworth & Bruhl. Neither is hero or villain. They are flawed, but vulnerable men. And Bruhl is a co-Lead, if anything. But this kind of marketing move harkens back to Old Hollywood when lesser-stars went automatically into "Supporting" consideration, even if they were the main character.
I could also see 'Rush' receiving accolades for its editing (loved crawling inside the driver's head during the action), the aforementioned cinematography, production design, sound design, & make-up. I like how the film reveals the psyches of these 2 men who only feel thrillingly alive when they're on the brink of death. Ron Howard crafts all of his movies impeccably; and with typically modest budgets. That said, Howard also has a reputation for sanitizing his films, a bit. They are mainstream, palatable, & easily digestible. 'Rush' has its R-rated sex scenes & profanity, but it STILL feels somewhat, I don't know, unexceptional. I appreciate Howard's intelligent, skillful entertainments. I'll never forget those exciting race scenes. I just wish that the rest of the story was as engaging.