Film: Rush

Director: Ron Howard
Genre: Drama
Source: USA (2013)
Rating: R
Location/Format: Glynn Place Stadium Cinema
Grade: A-

I know little to nothing about F1, and Ron Howard is really hit and miss to me (Loved: A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, Willow. But on the other hand: The Da Vinci Code, The Dilemma, EdTV) so I was prepared for moderate interest in Rush, but I wasn't prepared to enjoy it as much as I did. Howard takes on the (apparently) famous Hunt/Lauda rivalry of the 70s, and though a few choices don't work (I'm not sure we need the Niki Lauda book-ended narration, and at times we seem to be moving so quickly through the story we skip major events), overall I was really pleasantly surprised. Howard has brought F1 to life in some powerful ways here, and overall the film gives the story stakes that even novice F1 fans can sink their teeth into.

Step one: The sound. When my wife and I sat down in the theater, she leaned over and said she thought the sound was turned way up, and it is, but that single choice by the theater owner might have been the best choice in making this film immersive. This is a film not just about the speed of the cars, but about the throb and rumble of the engine. They overwhelm us, and they should, because they are the aural representation of strength and power.

It's that strength and power--that sense of life and mastery over it--that Hunt and Lauda both seem to tap into in their own ways, and Chris Hemmsworth and Daniel Bruhl both find that need to race in different ways. Hemmsworth is cocky, handsome, a walking talking James Bond in real life. Lauda is (as he is accused of being) ratlike, but also persistent, indomitable, and sharp. They are a great balance to one another, both as characters and as actors, and its them that make the film work.

Of course, the effects work here is top notch, as Howard's low cameras really invite us to get to a car's eye view of the track and of the driver, and they are also really effective in conveying speed. But I was impressed with just how much "action" Howard was willing to cut to make this the story of two men, not just of two racing styles. Whole races are covered in a quick audio clip and intertitle, and its effective choice in making the races that we do see count.

Really, I just didn't expect to enjoy myself quite so much. I hope the film continues to find an audience, both in the US and abroad, because it's Howard's best film in quite some time. I feel like he is dabbling with some new styles here--not just big Hollywood "please everybody" work, but really taking some interesting risks. I like to see that side of him.

Alternate Film Title: "Nascar Looks Forever Lame Now"