Full Circle for Ron Howard
The first movie Ron Howard ever directed was "Grand Theft Auto." Since then, he has built a storied, award-winning career; now he has come full circle to another auto-racing film. This biography is based on the true story of an Austrian Formula One champion and his British arch rival. I found it thrilling, involving and highly entertaining.
We see:
* Daniel Brühl ("Ladies in Lavender") as three-time Formula One champ Niki Lauda, a buttoned-down technocrat, friendless and charmless, but a brilliant analyst who understands all the elements of racing: the track, the engine, the body, the weight, and above all, the competition.
* Chris Hemsworth ("Thor") as handsome James Hunt, exuding the joie de vivre of international success. He revels in the booze, the drugs and the women that go along with fame and is always the darling of the press because he is so quotable.
* Olivia Wilde ("The Change-Up") as Suzy Miller, soon to be the famous supermodel Suzy...
The Greatest Sports Rivalry I Never Heard Of
I went in to see this movie with absolutely no idea what it was about, other than race cars (I prefer drag racing, Formula 1 is one of those European things I never paid attention to). Now I am obsessed with both Hunt and Lauda...the cinematography is great, the 'feel' of the era is palpable, the racing scenes are exciting, the casting was brilliant...all in all a wonderful suprise. Even if you aren't a racing fan, it's worth a look. And the soundtrack...wonderful!
My only complaint? It was too short.
I grew up watching Formula 1 but too late to see James Hunt and Niki Lauda fight it out. Doesn't matter because this story was always going to get my attention. In fact rarely have I looked to forward to a film. I was not disappointed.
I won't go through the premise here. If you're reading this I expect you already know it. I will say that this film travels at a pace akin to the cars it features. There's not a moment to get bored or for the mind to wander. To the contrary. I wanted every scene to be longer, I wanted to spend more time with these people. I was hungry to know them, flaws and all. This is no glossed up little package of hero-worship. Both Hunt and Lauda are as selfish and spiteful as they are inspiring and talented.
The music is brooding, compelling and exciting by turn. The camera work is intimate and amazing. (You see through Niki's bury eyes, you see from inside helmets and from under and along the cars. You see every shudder they...
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