I fear I’m going to be tremendously unfair to Ron Howard’s Formula 1 drama Rush. It’s a film that screams quality – a true story directed by Ron Howard with a screenplay from Peter Morgan, starring two great young actors. Yet, I found it all a little underwhelming… And here’s the unfair part; the reason I found it underwhelming is because three years ago I saw Asif Kapadia’s superlative documentary Senna. In comparison, Rush seems like thin gruel.
Rush follows the cat and mouse rivalry between Austrian driver Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) and the lesser known Englishman James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth), as they climb their way from ragtag beginnings in Formula 3 to an epic fight for the World Championship of 1976. Theirs was a clash of style and personality – Hunt, very much the playboy of the driving world and Lauda, a serious, intense and apparently unpopular driver. Rush documents their professional rivalry, while also looking at their lives off the track during the heady days of the early 1970s.
Despite the fact that I was entertained throughout, I found Rush too polished to be truly exciting. From the styling to the soundtrack, there is a feeling of Hollywood artificiality and ‘70s pastiche about this rendering of a true story. The hokey voice-over device which bookends the film only exacerbates this problem – it seems Howard can’t resist a dollop of mawkishness. Ultimately, although the race sequences are impressive, I was never involved enough to be on the edge of my seat.
For me, the film’s biggest asset is its performances. Hemsworth, in perhaps his most demanding role to date, is perfect as the roguish, reckless Hunt. He balances wit with intensity and is a likable presence. Bruhl meanwhile does an excellent job as the pragmatic Lauda. His stoic performance packs a hefty emotional punch and he provides many moments of humour and pathos.
At the end of the day (to coin a sporting phrase), Rush is a diverting watch but for me lacked the crucial tension it needed. See it; but then rent Senna.