Rush (I) (2013)

Really.

His performance in Rush came as a huge surprise. This is his best performance by quite some margin, a role which he plays with a great deal of maturity and respect. He plays Hunt with just the right level of arrogance, cockiness, confidence and audacity to convince you that he was real life 70's playboy James Hunt, a man destined to live fast and die young.

Bruhl is superb as Niki too. It's a role that he deserves much recognition for, particularly his accent and mannerisms. Lauda was one of the first of a new generation of professional driver, driving the old playboy characters out of the sport and Bruhl nails this icy determination to succeed magnificently.

A particular nod goes to Christian McKay's portrayal as the slightly eccentric, petrol head extraordinaire, ever so aristocratic but hopelessly financially incompetent Lord Hesketh.

The camera work is spectacular, none less so than with some very creative angles of the beautifully filmed on track action. The brief in-helmet camera shots are inspired, giving you a glimpse of the drivers world. CGI work will be spotted by the keen eyed, but you have to consider that without it that there are certain scenes involving priceless period machinery (the sound of a Cosworth DFV firing up and filling the cinema was worth the ticket price alone) that would be just impossible to film as accurately as they were depicted here with real machinery. As a result, they are able to use the CGI sparingly and to good effect.

The main facts of the 1976 season are on the whole handled very accurately. Certainly, some liberties are taken with poetic licence, but this is still a scripted film and not a documentary. The factually heavy writing of the script along with beautifully filmed and liberal use of period machinery being recorded at pace on real asphalt will be enough to keep the fans of the sport well represented.

It's a gripping telling of the 1976 Formula 1 season, which whilst not sharing the same shear spectacle of Howard's other 'too unbelievable to be true' film Apollo 13, Rush tells a story which would be just too unbelievable in terms of human bravery and personal destiny for any fictional story to be given credence. It's a tale which will be enough to hold the unfamiliar or casual viewer's attention with a steel firm grip to see how the different personalities handle the pressures of life both on and off the track and how rising to the top takes it's tole on these two polar opposite real life gladiators of the race track.

With the lead actors clearly committed to giving their best performances yet and a tastefully handled script, Ron Howard delivers a visually impressive account of events that may well become one of his most respected directorial efforts yet.

10/10