Rush: Lauda vs. Hunt

I’m not too familiar with Formula 1, I briefly watched the 2001 season but you don’t need any previous knowledge to enjoy and experience Ron Howard’s latest feature which is far more then seeking a thrill ride around a race track, it’s a brilliant character study of obsessive compulsion, driven by the real-life racing and personal rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt climaxing with their pursuit of the World Championship during the 1976 Formula 1 season with deadly consequences. Ron Howard, the director of films such as Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon is no stranger to true story sporting dramas after the success of Cinderella Man but in my opinion, Howard has exceeded his previous effort. Collaborating once again with his Frost/Nixon screenwriter Peter Morgan, who is no stranger to biographical movies himself including The King of Scotland, The Queen and The Damned United along with a thrill seeking movie of his own in the form of James Bond’s latest outing Skyfall. Morgan’s script perfectly lays the foundation and intensity of these two rivals, both of whom could be presented as unlikeable but Morgan builds two strong characters in which the audience not only want to invest in but can understand emotionally why their obsession pushes them to the edge of their own limits. “Don’t go to men who are willing to kill themselves driving around in circles looking for normality” quotes James Hunt during the movie, these men were of a different era from today’s Formula 1 stars, they really did risk their lives in every race, determined to be proven as the best. Niki Lauda and James Hunt couldn’t be more different from each other outside the race track. Lauda was disciplined, focused, straight talking and unsociable towards his peers using his intellect to win races unlike Hunt, the reckless, charming, partying playboy who relied on speed to ensure victory. Hunt outlandish partying reputation of drinking, drugs and women couldn’t be further from Lauda’s remote lifestyle of practising, fixing and analysing his car yet these two men seemed determined to bring out the best in each other, a true sporting rivalry.

I have to applaud the film’s casting director because Niki Lauda and James Hunt are both perfectly cast with Daniel Bruhl and Chris Hemsworth taking on the roles, in which both give great performances. Bruhl will no doubt receive more attention from the critics and rightfully so, shining in the role of Lauda. Bruhl has fully embedded himself within the role, capturing the accent, sharp delivery and characterisation of Lauda, excelling in the final third of the movie where the more emotional character arc transpires. I’ve never seen Daniel Bruhl act before, but he certainly caught my attention here. While everyone will rave about Bruhl, I think Chris Hemsworth shouldn’t go unnoticed either, he might not of had the emotional arc Lauda’s story posses but Hunt has his own inner demons, he battles throughout the movie which Hemsworth portrays successfully, combined with the lavish charisma required to portray Hunt. People might criticise Hemsworth’s accent but I thought he did a fine job. While Rush is very much a male driven show, I wish to praise the ladies of the movie too. Olivia Wilde did a great job in her small role of Suzy Miller, nailing her British accent. I wish Olivia Wilde would do more roles like this; she’s a talented actress picking the wrong roles. Natalie Dormer, the star of Game of Thrones also only had a brief role but she’s a fantastic actress, who deal well with her limited screen time. While Alexandra Maria Lara had the biggest female role of the three as Lauda’s love interest and eventual wife Marlene Knaus, in which she dealt well portraying the balance between cold unloving desire her husband shows her yet understanding his obsession.

While the acting was great, the story was compelling; I felt the real success of the movie laid in the technical aspects. The cinematography was beautifully shot, really capturing the essence of the seventies atmosphere. The severe weather conditions during some of the races also captured the magic of the cinematography while the cars looked stunning. The whole movie is edited well but the race sequences were edited perfectly including some first person view points, the action sequences during the race were extraordinary shot too. I know some fans of Formula One might not agree but regular moviegoers will surely be thrilled by the intense fast pace footage. But the real star in my opinion was Hans Zimmer; composer of films such as The Dark Knight trilogy really captured the mood of the characters emotions and journey, whether an impactful adrenaline speed bust through the speakers or a slow saddening tone, it worked perfectly. Overall I believe Rush is an exception movie that I would highly recommend. Great direction, strong acting performances, an emotional thrilling script combined with the perfect score from Hans Zimmer should be enough to send the audience home satisfied.

How do I think Rush will fair with the Academy? Well Frost/Nixon picked up 5 nominations including Best Director for Howard and Best Picture. Cinderella Man only scored 3 nominations. Apollo 13 scored 9 nominations while Howard’s most successful feature with the Academy, A Beautiful Mind scored 8 nominations which included wins for Best Director and Best Picture. I think Rush could score 5 nominations for Cinematography, Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Best Supporting Actor for Daniel Bruhl, which is technically category fraud as Bruhl is more lead then Hemsworth in my opinion but I’m sure Bruhl will be campaigned in supporting. Depending on how much the Academy likes the film it could also score nominations for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay depending on the competition. I’d love to see Hans Zimmer nominated but he probably stands more chance with Twelve Years a Slave.

Oscar Potential

Best Picture
Best Director, Ron Howard
Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Daniel Bruhl
Best Original Screenplay, Peter Morgan
Best Original Score, Hans Zimmer
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing