Rush 

No, not one of my all time favourite rock groups, but a film about Grand Prix motor racing, and thus ALMOST as noisy!

Formula 1 is something that I've never really been terribly interested in, although I've always sort of passively followed it in the background, mainly on radio commentaries. I've often thought it must be the most boring sport in the world - and this view seemed to be confirmed last year when, at the behest of a friend, I watched the Hungarian Grand Prix live. There was no overtaking and Lewis Hamilton led from start to finish....boredom personified .....zzzzzz! Why would I go to the cinema on a day off and spend good money on a film about it then??

Well, although it's a film about motor racing, in actual fact it's more a story about the rivalry of two men, two very different personalities - James Hunt and Nikki Lauda - and how friendship and (grudging) respect can flow from a bitter rivalry and strong personal dislike. I'm pretty certain that it's a true story, although not being a fan, it could be as true as The Hobbit - but I think it's based on Nikki Lauda's memoirs. It's basically a biopic, fairly similar to the recent "Behind the Candelabra" in many ways.

James Hunt is a loveable rogue, from a wealthy background, a womaniser, a playboy, a drinker - someone who likes to take things easy but wants to be the world champion racing driver - just once, that's all he wants. Nikki Lauda is also from a privileged background, but his family disowns him and he has to fight tooth and nail for everything he has. He is serious, dedicated and lacks a bit in humour and social skills - he also wants to be world champion, but only because it is his job - he could quite easily have found himself working in the tax office, and he would have felt quite at home.

The film portrays the build up of their rivalry and personal hatred, the development of mutual respect, and then of friendship. Lauda does a dirty trick and gets Hunt disqualified for a petty infringement after he won the Spanish Grand Prix. At the German Grand Prix, Lauda wants the race cancelled because of appalling driving conditions, but Hunt calls him "chicken", shames him into carrying on, and sure as eggs are eggs, Lauda crashes in the bad conditions and he suffers terrible burns. This touches Hunt somewhat, but he still races on. In hospital, Lauda is spurred on by seeing Hunt "winning HIS points" and makes a valiant comeback. He can actually win the championship in the last race in Japan, but the conditions are even more appalling than Germany, and being true to his conscience, he retires from the race and Hunt wins the Championship by one point.

The best part of the film is the press conference before Lauda's comeback race. A press man asks if his wife will stay with him "looking like that". Lauda responds like I probably would - with a dignified "f**k you" and a finger - but Hunt corners the journalist in the toilet and beats him up - "how would your wife like YOU now?" I thought this was a superb moment that really summed up everything the film was about.

In short, it helped that I didn't really know the story, but - marvellous characterisation, a great moral story, a thrilling plot - and, plenty of loud noise and white knuckle fast paced racing action. I'm not sure that the film will make me a convert to motor racing - but heck, make sure you see this before it's too late.

26/10/13