Rush:
James,
Niki,
Biopic.
Formula 1,
Lord Hesketh Racing,
Marlboro Racing Team,
German Grand Prix – Nürbergring,
(Suzy Miller – Richard Burton!)
Calm and collected, wealthy Niki
Lauda takes out a loan to join Team March.
James Hunt beds any woman who comes his way,
But understated Niki finds love with Marlene.
There's tension in the Hunt-Lauda on-track rivalry.
Sex and motor sport racing is a high octane mixture –
It's clear each driver takes his chances on track and in bed:
Near-lethal if inflamed by an incessant winning compulsion
In addition to the hazards tackled by drivers of that era.
Ron Howard ("Richie Cunningham" from Happy Days) directs and produces,
Giving the film flair, a genuine 70s feel, and a sense of danger:
Racing scenes are real high pulse-setters – the crashes particularly dynamic.
What is of chief interest is the actor's skilful portrayal of each character;
Daniel Brühl's wonderful detailing, even capturing Lauda's famous 'rat' overbite,
Sets up the cautious Austrian, ever planning, for his inexorable rise to the top,
And Chris Hemsworth's effortless swagger in his sometimes shoeless appearences
Shows the impossible Hunt's raw energy, spontaneous power and unreliability.
Both at their career's peak, neither would allow themselves to be beaten by the other,
Despite Hunt's personal and mechanical failures, or Lauda's awful crash and burn
and thirty-nine days out.
Their rivalry egged each other on, even past the point where Niki's safety fears proved to be a reality.
Hunt's final success in a rain-soaked Japan clinched the 76 championship, but the drivers remained good friends.
Clearly one of the best, most enjoyable racing films of recent years – the knights clash, the titans fight, but their friendship holds.
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