Rush

Opening with a scene in which James Hunt and Niki Lauda jockey back and forth for the lead in the 1976 Formula One World Championship, this sports biopic traces their real-life racetrack rivalry. Sporting the good looks (and arrogance) of a Greek god, Great Britain's Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) lived competitively and raced recklessly, while Lauda (Daniel Brühl), an Austrian pragmatist, was far more interested in designing and building the best racecar than in being the most acclaimed racer. So it was the swaggering playboy vs. the strategic perfectionist on European racetracks during the 1970s. Off-the-track, their lives were equally divergent. Ever-flirtatious Hunt impulsively proposed to model Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde) within moments of meeting her, yet doomed their marriage with continual womanizing (so no one was surprised when Suzy ran off with actor Richard Burton). In contrast, straitlaced Lauda married a loving, understanding woman (Alexandra Maria Lara). Confidently directed by Ron Howard, Rush benefits from a flamboyant performance by Australian Hemsworth, but it is Spanish-born German actor Brühl who is the real scene-stealer here as the decidedly un-glamorous Lauda (nicknamed “the Rat” due to a prominent overbite). An exciting, exhilarating, enthralling racing epic, this is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (11 min.), a “Ron Howard: A Director's Approach” featurette (8 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are a “Race for the Checkered Flag” making-of featurette (23 min.), “The Real Story of Rush” (19 min.), and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a winning sports film.] (S. Granger)