I didn’t expect much out of Rush. I knew the movie would be good due to the great reviews it’s been receiving and because of the talent involved; I just didn’t expect it to be this good. I absolutely loved Rush. I started off not being into the two main characters, but once they grew on me, I was sucked into this movie like Sandra Bullock was sucked into outer space. Rush is a fantastic movie and is easily one of the best movies I’ve seen all year.
Rush tells the tale of James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl), two race car drivers who develop a rivalry that lasts throughout most of the 1970’s.
That’s it. Similar to Gravity, Rush tells a very straightforward tale with no real subplots of any kind. This movie just follows these two race car drivers’ lives. That was why I was let down by the beginning of Rush. These characters weren’t likable at all and I just didn’t care for them. I wasn’t rooting for them, I didn’t care who would win the race, and I was just not into the movie. Then it all of a sudden kicked in and I really liked these two characters and I was glued to this movie.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKAr42gxjhM[/youtube]
Ron Howard (director), Hemsworth, and Brühl really knocked it out of the park in this movie. They sucked me into a movie that’s mostly dialogue with not a whole lot of flair. Gravity had outer space to suck me into while Rush had these two characters. So when the time came when I was sucked into this film, I was able to really appreciate everything on screen.
Ron Howard has proved he is a great director but he really shines here. Not only are the F1 racing scenes spectacular but average dialogue was filmed beautifully. Plus, Howard knows how to direct actors and the performances, like I said earlier, are spectacular. Hemsworth and Brühl really make you believe in their characters and they capture every emotion needed. Nobody’s getting an Oscar but these were still some damn good performances.
The dialogue in the film is also very well crafted. It’s not that it’s a smartly written movie, it’s just that the dialogue is so believable and always stays true to the characters. A dialogue exchange towards the end of the film really shows that Peter Morgan (the writer) knows how to stay true to the characters no matter what. These characters develop over the course of the film, but even in their darkest moments do they still stay true to themselves and nothing ever gets generic or overdramatized.
Finally, what really impressed me here was the intensity. When the cars are revving up for an F1 race, you are on the edge of your seat and your heart is pounding. While the race is going on, you are in the stands watching this race, not in a movie theater. Few movies suck me in like that and Rush nailed it and did it perfectly.
THE VERDICT
Rush is awesome. The performances, directing, cinematography, and writing are near flawless. I wish the characters appeared more likable out of the gate instead of on the 10th lap, but that doesn’t take away from the sheer brilliance of Rush; one of the best movies of the year.
For reviews and more from me, Petey Oneto, you can check out my blog but be sure to check back to Resident Entertainment for more of my posts in the future.