Rush (DVD REVIEW)
Rush
DVD Review
by Kam Williams
Ron
Howard Retro Race Thriller Released on DVD
Back in the Seventies, a couple of
racecar drivers as different from each other as Dudley Do-Right and Snidely
Whiplash became sworn adversaries on the Formula 1 circuit. England’s James Hunt (Chris
Hemsworth) was a brash daredevil willing to put his life at risk every time he
drove around the track. By contrast, Austria’s Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl)
was a technical genius who invariably employed a relatively-scientific
strategy.
The pair
were also polar opposites afterhours, with handsome Hunt being a flamboyant
playboy who liked the limelight, while relatively low-key Lauda preferred to
spend his free time in peace and quiet with his socialite wife, Marla Knaus
(Alexandra Maria Lara). The bitter rivalry between the two came to a head
during the 1976 season, when both were in contention for the coveted title of
world champion.
That
cutthroat quest is the subject of Rush, a character-driven drama
directed by two-time Academy Award-winner Ron Howard (for A
Beautiful Mind). Based on a screenplay by two-time Oscar-nominee Peter Morgan
(The Queen and Frost/Nixon), the picture’s engaging plotline repeatedly
juxtaposes the personas of the leads, painting the hunky Brit as a lovable bon
vivant on a crusade to wrest the crown from a defending champ portrayed as just
too methodical a nerd to root for.
The movie
masterfully depicts the cat-and-mouse mental as well as racecar jockeying which
transpires, with the tension mounting at adrenaline-fueled contests staged in
international ports-of-call ranging from Brazil to Spain to Monaco to Germany
and inexorably leading to a white-knuckle showdown in Japan.
Along the
way, we’re treated to the sight of chain-smoking Hunt’s substance abusing and
womanizing, as he all but makes a mockery of uptight Lauda’s Spartan regimen.
The emotional build-up subtly suggests that getting the checkered flag at Fuji will serve as a
confirmation of the eventual victor’s approach.
A compelling, high-octane thriller, literally
and figuratively!
Excellent
(4 stars)
Rated R for profanity, nudity, sexuality, smoking,
disturbing images and brief drug use
In English, German, Italian and French with subtitles
Running Time: 123 minutes
Distributor:
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Rush Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Deleted scenes; Ron
Howard: A Director’s Approach; The Real Story of Rush; Race for the Checkered
Flag: The Making of Rush.
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