Rush (4 Stars)

This film is based on the rivalry between the racing drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda in the 1970's, culminating in their final battle during the Formula 1 season in 1976. I already knew something of the story before I went to see the film, but since I've never been a close follower of car racing a lot was new to me.

The story is partly told through the eyes of Hunt, partly through the eyes of Lauda, enough to help us as viewers empathise with both characters, but in the second half of the film it's Lauda we follow closest. There is no good guy and no bad guy, they were just two sportsmen who respected one another but still wanted to win at all costs. They could not have been more different. James Hunt was a flamboyant playboy, while Niki Lauda was a quiet and concentrated person who put racing first and his private life a distant second. If the film can be criticised for anything, it's for toning down Hunt's excesses, because that might have turned the viewers against him, especially in super-prude America. Director Ron Howard takes great pains to present the two as equal opposites, he really doesn't want us to take sides.

The casting is perfect. Pretty boy Chris Hemsworth looks uncannily like the real James Hunt. He hides his Australian accent better than he did in "Thor", but in doing so he's made himself sound like a clone of Pierce Brosnan. If I had closed my eyes I would have sworn it was him speaking. Daniel Brühl, or to give him his full name, Daniel César Martín Brühl González Domingo, was the ideal choice for the uptight Niki Lauda. Let me be honest: I don't think that Daniel is a good actor. He doesn't have the ability to play extroverted gregarious characters, but he is very good for quiet introspective roles. Nevertheless, I'm glad that he's made a breakthrough into the American film scene. I first noticed him in "Goodbye Lenin", one of my favourite films, then followed him through a series of German films until he was given the Tarantino touch and became internationally famous through his role in "Inglourious Basterds". Since he was born in Spain he also speaks fluent Spanish and has starred in Spanish films such as "Salvador".

I'm not sure how much I should write about my opinions on car racing, in particular Formula 1. It's the world's most dangerous competitive sport. Early on in the film it's stated that 2 out of 25 Formula 1 racing drivers die every year. Later on Niki Lauda says that he reckons there's a 20% chance that he will die in every race. Those are awful odds when you're gambling with death. It's sheer madness to drive at speeds of over 150 miles per hour in the pouring rain. The film is careful not to judge. It's the closeness to death that gives the racers the rush, being close to death is what makes them feel alive. On the other hand, the film suggests that both Hunt and Lauda were smart enough to know when to give up, each in their own ways. I personally find the idea abhorrent that young men are willing to risk death for a shiny reward and a few years of fame. I follow the speed limits and drive even slower in the rain. If that makes me sound dull, so be it. I'd rather be boring than dead.