Rush [Blu-ray]

This is a very good film about James Hunt & Nicki Louda. I remember liserning to most of the Grand Prixs on the radio then would watch the highlights on BBC2 that night. Great race track action with cameras all over the cars and driver helmet cameras as well. This was the age when all the F1 cars had Ford Cosworths fitted in them apart from the two Fearries . Sounds super through sound system all that's missing is small of oil & rubber. FIVE STAR * * * * *.

When this film came out initially it didn’t interest me. I tell a lie; the myth of the James Hunt / Niki Lauda rivalry meant nothing to me but as one who had grown up around a Formula One obsessed Dad, I knew the names well. No huge draw to me though, but still sounded an interesting biography. Now a couple of years on how glad I am that that I finally had the chance to watch this on the off-chance it would be entertaining. It was everything I expected and more.From the opening minutes I was won over by Chris Hemsworth and the brilliant Daniel Brühl as Hunt and Lauda. They immediately portrayed their characters in relevance to the sport and the era of the 1970s perfectly and they hooked me, with their electric chemistry evident from the start which is the foundation for this film to work. Both actors are superb in being totally different men but fuelled by the same thing; winning.Director Ron Howard crafts a faithful look to the 1970s racing circuit as I would expect, with the locations and characters just how I would imagine. It looked natural and authentic with no evident sugar-coated Hollywood touches. It could have passed as an expensive documentary rather than a multi-million dollar biog. It’s clear from this look that the money has gone into the details, such as the racing cars themselves and the set design, once again evoking a truly authentic look. And never mind the look; the sound is superb! The diegetic engines roaring to life were like nothing I’ve heard before. Howard captures the world of Formula One racing and those involved in it, really surrounding you with a sense of how it felt to be in the racing pits or spectator stands.The soundtrack by Hans Zimmer at times is TOO much like a ‘Batman Begins’ nod, but that can be overlooked on the fact his music is superb anyway, and mixed with the literally nail-biting racing sequences and drama played out, it accompanies the visuals perfectly. The cinematography in the racing sequences are fantastic, from the tight camera angles of the racers to the claustrophobic confines of the racing helmets themselves, it’s the big and small detail that paints a picture of the world Hunt and Lauda lived in, and fuelled them in a life or death sport.The racing is breath-taking even if you know the outcome or not, and thankfully I didn’t and so was as hooked as audiences would have been in the 70s, and I know I could watch this again and still feel it thanks for the authenticity of this masterpiece. Winning performances, exceptional direction and a world created with great detail and passion make this a stand-out film that isn’t just aimed at sports fans, but those who love great drama and tension from their films.

Certainly an appropriate heading......from start to finish it is indeed anadrenaline rush.The film tells the 'true' story of the on and off track rivalry between tracklegends 'James Hunt' and 'Niki Lauda'Playboy 'James Hunt' lives his life in the fast-lane, his on-track drivingreflecting his personality.'Niki Lauda' is knowledgeable about the workings of his rides on the track,his actions on the race track both deliberate and methodical.The film follows both drivers lives on and off the track, the rivalry betweenthe two almost certainly led to 'Niki Lauda's' near-fatal crash in the GermanGrand-Prix 1976His courage returning to the track the same season was driven by thedetermination to try and stop his rival claiming the championship.I think possibly if but eventually they had a mutual respect for each other.The film is without question both exciting and intense, it will keep you onthe edge of your seat throughout.Great casting....'Chris Hemsworth' as 'James Hunt' and 'Daniel Bru'hl' as'Niki Lauda'It's a brilliant movie that warrants it's acclaim, quite simply 'A MUST SEE'Great visual content and superb sound quality on board (Blu-Ray)Special features :*Deleted scenes.*The real story of Rush.*Race for the chequered flag.*The making of Rush.

The main plot point here of geek versus playboy is a well worn path for film scripts of course. In this example the story is written with more depth and subtlety. The magnetic attraction is that the protagonists are engaged in a pitched battle and a battle to the death - literally. The film just manages to get one engaged sufficiently on this point with torn flesh and blood exposed in sufficient quantity to paint the picture. It is of course the geek that sails closest to that ultimate end and it is this moment about which the whole plot hinges. It is hard for me to be dispassionate here. A tingle runs down my spine watching a car fish-tailing in the wet because I know what it is like. The successive moments on which the plot hangs ring true because I used to follow Formula One - when technology was allowed more free-reign. Mr Lauda resonates with me because I have known passionate clever people who short-circuit everything else for a singular goal and yet also those in the Hunt mold who seem almost to accidentally succeed hiding a much deeper understanding alongside their talent. Yet people I know with no interest in the sport and no driving experience enjoyed this movie too. Probably because the characters are well drawn enough. Because we all see those contrasts in driven people we have met. There is sufficient racing here and enough history is recreated to mean that this is a Formula 1 film and yet it does not become a slave to that action. Including, I am grateful to add, not overusing the CGI - a pothole that so many action films fall into. You will cringe at Lauda's marriage proposal but you will have cringed at Hunt's too. In the end this is a great film about the flawed people that make winners in this arena and an insight into why being flawed is probably a necessary part of success.One additional point - I loved the echos of Murray Walker an homage which I know some have not reacted well to.