Rush (2013) – Review

Review: Rush is a fantastic sports rivalry drama that is both thrilling and emotionally engaging. The film is about two highly focused Formula 1 drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda (the two best drivers in the world at the time) and their intense and competitive 1976 season – each man fiercely contending to be World Champion. Their rivalry was born of hatred, but grew into something more – not just the motivation to be better, to beat the other, but admiration, respect, and friendship.

Rush works on multiple narrative levels. It is a great sports drama, probably the best in years if not ever (on a side note, here are a few sports films I love: The Pride of the Yankees, Hoop Dreams, Million Dollar Baby, Cinderella Man, and Goon). The rivalry between Hunt and Lauda hits all the right dramatic notes. What is brilliant about the film is that director Ron Howard does such a good job digging into each character that the audience cares deeply about each man and does not know who to fully root for – the viewer constantly finds himself switching sides throughout the film, which is a very compelling experience. The film also greatly benefits from the majesty of the big theater screen and speakers. The visuals and sounds of the Formula 1 race cars is onto itself exciting, to which Howard also adds the drama and thrilling tension of the narrative. For most, especially in America, this is probably an unfamiliar story and thus going in the ending is not a known entity, creating an engrossing narrative just from the perspective of wanting to see who comes out on top. As a sports film, everything works: the rivalry, the exhilarating visuals and sounds, and the larger than life heroes.

And yet, as good as the film is as a sports drama, it is maybe even better as a character piece. Ron Howard does a wonderful job with Hunt and Lauda. The audience is given enough character moments for both men to really get to know them and find themselves drawn in by their struggle and emotional journey. The audience has a strong connection to each man. Plus, Howard elicits absolutely phenomenal performances from his lead actors (probably the best of each actor’s careers to date). The juxtaposition of each man’s approach makes them seemingly perfect rivals: Hunt’s charisma and life-on-the-edge persona versus Lauda’s socially awkward but brilliant technician persona. Howard does great work showcasing each man’s perspective and making a compelling argument for each approach. The audience finds themselves relating to each man, which is a grand achievement in itself.

Howard also creates a very intimate feel throughout the film, which aids in the character development. Visually, Howard’s camera seems to always find itself right in the mix, invading the personal space of the characters placing the audience often in their perspective. The audience feels the full impact of each emotional high and low the character experiences, because they are right in there with them. The race scenes feel more breathtaking, because the audience is often right in the driver seat as well. Howard’s camera creates an overall heightened dramatic tension that really plays well for the audience, pulling them into the narrative even more.

From a pacing standpoint, Howard also does a good job. His narrative is structured to continually switch perspectives between Hunt and Lauda, with much of the story told through voice-over narration. The film never feels slow because Howard is able to switch back and forth from his two leads always telling the overall story from the best perspective (from a narrative sense).

Really, if there is anything to nitpick about Rush it is that the film is basically at its core just a by-the-numbers sports drama. The rivalry story is a tried-and-true narrative device that has been done over and over in popular media. Rush does not quite transcend its place as an entertaining Hollywood film. That said, however, it is a very entertaining experience and one of the best films of 2013 so far.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Ron Howard is a staple of Hollywood filmmaking. His films generally have the gloss and feel of grand, but safe, dramas (in which Howard does often garner strong performances) or A-list star driven comedies (that are never very good). His work, while hit or miss in terms of quality, has never been exciting from an aesthetic perspective. However, with Rush, Howard makes both his best narrative film and his most artistic. The film has a very ambitious and aesthetically interesting visual style that works extremely well with the narrative drama and characters. After a couple of his poorer directorial efforts, Howard’s filmmaking seems to have found new life (Rush is my favorite of Howard’s over twenty films, I also like Willow, Parenthood, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, and Frost/Nixon – Apollo 13 is probably Howard’s other most critically acclaimed, I am just not as big a fan).

Hans Zimmer’s score works well to reinforce the thrilling and dramatic moments of the film, but is greatly overshadowed both by the solid soundtrack of period songs and the wonderful sound design (comprised of revving engines and squealing tires). Anthony Dod Mantle’s photography is second to none so far in 2013. It is brilliant work. The stylized look of the races, often combining what looks like actual footage with what Howard and Dod Mantle shot, works exceptionally in its ability to create a realistic experience for the audience. There are many stunning photographic moments in the film, culminating in the sheer magnificence of the final race scene in the rainy shadow of Mt. Fuji. Mark Digby’s production design is also top notch, as his work completely transports the audience into the 1970s both visually and culturally. The overall look and feel of the race scenes is a great achievement for all involved in the film.

The cast is very good throughout. Christian McKay (doing is typically wonderful, scene-stealing character work), Natalie Dormer, and Pierfrancesco Favino are all very good in small supporting roles. Olivia Wilde does not have too many dramatic opportunities, as she is basically there to look glamorous. She not only captures the look, but she also does good work in the few dramatic scenes she is given. Alexandra Maria Lara has a fuller supporting role than Wilde, and she takes full advantage. Her strong work allows the audience to see something more in Lauda, which then enables them to switch sides and root for him, despite the immutable charisma of Hunt. However, the film is really all about two characters and two performances. Daniel Bruhl is incredible as Lauda. It is a full on character performance, as Bruhl is completely lost in the role. What works very well is that while Lauda is not particularly likable, his confidence in himself and his talent in its own way gives him a kind of charisma that the audience can latch onto, and Bruhl does not miss any opportunity to pull them in. Chris Hemsworth is just having a blast with Hunt. The role plays off of Hemsworth’s natural talents as an actor: being handsome and charismatic, but he brings a deeper emotional turmoil to the role that is very interesting. As confident and care free as Hunt may appear to be, he also has his demons. Both characters feel like fully developed, real people and that is due to Bruhl and Hemsworth.

Summary & score: Rush may be the greatest sports film ever made, as it captures the imagination and the heart of the audience – just like the power of sport. 8/10

Never Let Me Go (2010) – Review

Never Let Me Go is haunting, heartbreaking and seemingly against human instinct, and yet upon deeper reflection illuminates a truth about humanity – none of us has enough time, so we should make the best of it (which is much more poetically done in the film, versus the cliché I just wrote). While the film does have sci-fi overtones, director Mark Romanek and screenwriter Alex Garland do not try to warp their story into a sci-fi thriller (something that very easily could have been done, and something I suspect some audiences were hoping for), rather they are interested solely in their characters and their specific narrative, which benefits the film. Romanek made a very subtle film in that nothing is exaggerated or flamboyant – the look of the film and performances are restrained, the visuals are more and more dismal tonally as the film progresses as the characters come to terms with their stations in life. Though, despite the bleak tone that the film has, there is a beautiful quality to the visuals and the simplistic nature of the characters. They are to an extent completely innocent, though somewhat corrupted by the agenda of the outside world. They are raised in a utopian controlled society (though I would call it dystopian given the full narrative), groomed for a specific purpose only, one that is utterly horrific (the absolute disregard of the outside world for these people is best shown in Ruth’s last scene, they are considered soulless) and foreign to us, but they accept it and even take pride in it as noble work. A common reaction is why do they not try to escape, but they know nothing else. Sure, some very well may try to flee (as chaos is always evident even in the most controlled system), but that is a different story. We (and seemingly especially Americans) want to take charge and influence the outcome of our lives, rebel in a sense, which is why Kathy and Tommy’s acceptance is hard to swallow. But really, it is no different than what we do everyday. We make do with what we have. We often accept our circumstances. And in many cases, it is out of our hands, and even so we still find meaning and take pride in our work and lives. At its heart, this is a love story and about friendship. It is clear, even as children, that Kathy and Tommy should be together. But life gets in the way, as it often does for all of us. The little time they do get is a reminder to the viewer to take stock of what they have and what they want. Notwithstanding the sad tonality of the film, messages of love, friendship and redemption resonate deeper and have a lasting impact on the audience. The film is very powerful, as it stays with the viewer long after the credits role. Though as beautiful and engaging as the film is, it is not for everyone. Being more concerned with the characters’ emotions, thoughts and experiences, leaving the outside world to the imagination, the film does not have much action (leaving action seekers to feel bored). It is built on a structure of three times that these characters interacted. The audience sees the transition of the relationship of the characters, but again the film is not superficially over dramatic (as is the case in many Hollywood films), it is subtle, nothing is telegraphed, the viewer empathizes with the characters (especially Kathy) based on emotions the film evokes in the viewer organically (aka, the score does not exaggerate the drama, and the narrative does not explicitly pull on the audiences’ heartstrings for a artificial influenced reaction). Yet, the delicate approach that Garland and Romanek take can be lost on some viewers (specifically those not inclined for this type of film). Never Let Me Go may be a film full of sorrow, even shockingly grim, but underneath the narrative speaks to themes of love, loyalty, redemption, and the lasting message of seize the day, make the most out of your life and try to be happy.

Technical achievements: director Romanek and writer Garland have made an exceptional film based on what was commonly referred to as an un-filmable novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. The script and direction are sparse in that they only gives the viewer the essential pieces and do not linger – something that is quite difficult to do well. Romanek and Garland took the novel and adapted it to tell their particular story and did not try to recreate everything in the book or be overly ambitious with their narrative focus – things that often make for not so great film based on good novels. The film, while being a take on the novel, is its own entity, completely separate and should be viewed that way. Romanek also succeeded greatly in putting together his cast and crew as they are all phenomenal in their work. Production designer Mark Digby does a wonderful job of both portraying the coldness of the outside world (Kathy’s apartment is so barren and sad), but also capturing the warmth of the characters. Cinematographer Adam Kimmel does standout work on the film. His photography is a treat and stunning. The score by Rachel Portman is also exceedingly good. She is able to deliver music that captivates the audience. The cast of the film is first-rate. The adult actors have small roles in the film, as the narrative is almost completely exclusive to Tommy, Ruth and Kathy, but Charlotte Rampling, Sally Hawkins and Nathalie Richard are all quite good. The film also features child actors, who needed to be just as good as their older counterparts for the narrative to fully resonate. Romanek is able to get very good performances from his young actors with the standout being the work of Izzy Meikle-Small. She is able to do the heavy emotional lifting effortlessly. The film’s three main stars are fantastic. Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley are both very good, but Andrew Garfield is amazing. He is so hopeful and innocent that his seems to be the most tragic of the three.

Never Let Me Go is an aesthetically magnificent film, full of great performances, but it is not a film for everyone, exploring the end message of live life to the fullest through a heartbreaking story of love and friendship. 9/10