Rush - Review

With a busy screening in East London full of veteran cinema-goers, Cineworld offered their Unlimited card holders a preview screening of Ron Howard's latest feature, Rush. Although some minor technical difficulties (we were shown the first five minutes of You're Next before the technical crew realised their mistake), the crowd was alive with excitement for what could possibly be the film of the year, and we were not let down one bit.

Rush tells of the rivalry and personal feuds between two racing drivers in the '70s, James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Their lives on the race track and behind the spotlight are portrayed so magnificently by Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl in this biographical drama that hits screens in the UK on the 13th September. 

Speaking of the actors, the performances given by Hemsworth and Bruhl were absolutely phenomenal, their characters and the lives they lead were so unbelievably captivating, the film raced by (no pun intended) with the performances being the leading factor in how well the film flowed and how beautifully received the twists and turns of the plot were. If Oscar nominations are not given for the acting in this film, I will have no words on the Academy's ridiculous decisions, with the best acting I have seen in a long, long time, I felt a genuine connection and involvement in the character's lives and it was brilliant.

My one fear going into this film was that the emphasis on the racing element would be too strong and would draw away from the characters and other aspects of the film, however my fears were put aside instantly, with the racing scenes never dragging on at all, the less dramatic races were shown for a couple of seconds and only the races that were crucial to the plot and character development were shown, making watching a lengthy racing scene all that more tense due to the knowledge that something is going to happen. Cinematography was strongly considered and after effects used in order to make the races an experience for the audience as much as the characters, the competitions were a break from all of the drama surrounding the other scenes, yet still held interest into the outcome of the characters and their situations. 

The film transcends any words that any critic or fan can label it with, standing out as the film event of the year so far for me, I have no doubt that this is a high point not only in Hemsworth and Bruhl's careers, but also for Ron Howard. Once a director makes a brilliantly received film (such as Howard's The Da Vinci Code) they are often known as the director who made that one film that one time. Yet with Rush, I feel Howard has proved his worth in the filmmaking business and stomped on the heads of critics of the film. This film is truly moving, outstandingly beautiful and so beautiful to watch. Don't miss out on this film.