Rush

Director Ron Howard has made some excellent films based on real life stories. So he was the best choice to make this film about Formulae 1 race car drivers.
For those who know me will know that I am not a sporty person. Yet I do enjoy sporting movies. The way movies are made and the film making techniques used, to me make sport far more exciting than actually watching the game in real life. That is very much the case with race car driving. I've never understood the interest in watching these races live. I once heard someone describe them jokingly as not a race but a parade. Only certain cars will make it to the front of the pack and they will stay there for the whole race. Plus watching it live means you do not get to see the whole lap but only one small section.
Surprisingly for a film about two race car drivers I got the impression that the film was less focused on this aspect of the story. The actual races seemed to be glossed over and only certain aspects were highlighted. Quite rightly the focus of the story is the rivalry between these two very different men. It is a fascinating look at how two men can have varying views on the same thing. James Hunt's skill was driving a car where as Niki Lauda was more focused on the car itself. It makes you think that if they were not rival and had perhaps teamed up then they would have been a more formidable team. This rivalry is what makes the film great for me. You get the sense that while they were rivals on the race track that they still had a deep respect for each other. Peter Morgan's script does a good job of highlighting these differences and similarities. But it still does sink into cliché sometimes which seems to be what all sporting films tend to do. Ron Howard also brings his skill as a director to the racing scenes and makes them quite thrilling.
I admire Chris Hemsworth for making films like this to prove he is more than just a hunky action hero. While this type of character is probably not that much of a stretch for him he does manage to bring more complexity to his character than you might expect. He also works well with his partner in the rivalry Daniel Bruhl. Daniel got the more interesting character and does a brilliant job with it. The way Niki uses James as a way to drive him in his driving is interesting, especially when Niki was injured. The rest of the cast are merely hangers on to the central story of this rivalry. Olivia Wilde is lumbered with a character who is merely a minor plot point and she does not do anything interesting with the character except look good. As Niki's love interest Alexandra Maria Lara gets a more interesting character to work with and so Alexandra gives an excellent performance.
Even if you are not a sports fan there is still a lot to like about this film. An entertaining look at a fascinating rivalry.