Rush

[Kokosun]

I don't know if anybody on here is an F1 fan, I am. I went to see Rush this afternoon. I was sadly disappointed. The plot is reasonably good - the '76 battle for the world championship between Hunt and Lauda. The acting is pretty good, with both of the leads capturing the core characteristics of the drivers. The script is mediocre, although it does include some of the more interesting quotes from the real-world rivalry. The photography is weak with no real 'atmosphere'. The racing scenes are appalling and completely fail to capture the brutal power (and beauty) of the 1976 F1 car. Watching cars move at 50mph when they should be moving at 180mph fails to get the blood pumping.

But, it got very good reviews generally (and not just from the critics but also from real people), so I guess that I'm in the minority.

For me ... the best scenes were the real-world footage at the end. I saw a documentary a while ago (I think that it was called Hunt vs. Lauda) and it was MUCH better than Howard's version.

[Alex]

I enjoyed the film, but wasn't enamored by it. I didn't think the footage + CGI was as bad as you, but it wasn't particularly memorable either. In a movie, there isn't that much time for character development when they are following real people, and it looks like they spent more time on Lauda than Hunt. Hunt was a pretty flat character in the film, and I think people who didn't know much about the topic (racing in general, or that F1 season in the 70's), might not get things that were just quickly brushed over; while those with more background would be able to put them together.

I read the newly published James Hunt bio earlier this year, and enjoyed it quite a bit. It's called Shunt, by Tom Rubython. (amazon link)

[Kokosun]

Originally Posted by Alex

I read the newly published James Hunt bio earlier this year, and enjoyed it quite a bit. It's called Shunt, by Tom Rubython. (amazon link)

I didn't know about "Shunt". I just ordered it. Thanks.