Rush (English 2013)

It will be quite easy to list down the things that Ron Howard did wrong with RUSH.  A full day of research after being swept away by RUSH, I could find 5 mistakes. Nothing more

1. An F1 Car doesn’t fly over a hill when it is trying to catch up especially when it is a driver as safe as Niki Lauda
2. Not sure if Hunt beat up a reporter for asking Lauda a question about his wife accepting him after half his face had burnt off
3. Nürburgring was not known as the Graveyard.  It was called Green Hell.
4. Howard has chosen not to cover the aspect that Hunt & Lauda were friends who actually stayed together when in London.
5. The penalty to Hunt for the Brands Hatch race resulting in disqualification wasn’t covered.  This was actually a very pivotal point in the season.

As such, of the above, the last 2 is a choice that any director makes and nothing can be taken away from Howard for this.  The first 3 however can be attributed to over dramatization.  Could they have been avoided? I would have.  And to that extent, I am going to dock half a point at the end of the day for a movie that otherwise is easily, THE MOVIE OF THE YEAR SO FAR.

I had goose pimples and I am sure many others did when the engines revved with the beginning of the movie along with an indicator that it was the start of the race on 1^st August 1976 @ the Nürburgring, Germany – the fateful date when 3 time world champion, Niki Lauda, who was forced to race despite resistance, almost lost his life.

Of course, the crash isn’t covered at the beginning of the movie and it quickly cuts into giving us a snapshot of the early days of Lauda and Hunt with their F3 careers and how they move into F1.  Howard gives precisely 15 minutes for this part before progressing into what is rated by many as the greatest rivalry in the glamourous sport of Formula 1.

For those in this part of the world who will attempt to make a sports movie / biography, RUSH is a crash course on what should be done.  The attention to detail is just stunning.  The F1 shells for the race cars (they were allowed to use only F3 cars), the colour tones resembling a seventies movie, the costumes for the race drivers and people in general, the conversations of Lauda that are mostly in German – everything is just too damn close to reality!!! Now that is commitment to making a movie!!!!

But the 3 best moments have to be the following

1. Hunt overtaking Lauda behind the hill at Brands Hatch where Lauda goes into the turn as a leader and the camera pans the hill towards the crowd that goes WILD!!!
2. Lauda driving a local box car in Italy to show Marlene that he can drive and the scene seamlessly shifts to the US Grand Prix
3. The recreation of the Nürburgring crash that is as close to the original as can be. Look at the actual incident http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHCSmlhQVu4

If Howard hadn’t overlooked those 5 points stated at the beginning, RUSH would have easily staked its claim for movie of the year.  My guess would be that it will now make it to the top 10 at the Academy but will not win it because the emphasis of staying true is quite high.

Having said that, I am betting on a nomination for Lead Actor – Daniel Brühl – who was simply superb as Lauda.  Hemsworth has given the performance of his life and may just be a dark horse for a supporting actor nomination.  Cap off this brilliant movie with some slick editing, superb camerawork and Hans Zimmer’s stunning music.  Movie of the year to date in my books.  I still have goose pimples.  Don’t miss it.  8.5 on 10.

Watch the trailer on http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1998301465/?ref_=tt_ov_vi and visit the site http://www.rushmovie.com/