2020-2029, Film Review

Challengers (2024)

Posted on April 26, 2024May 16, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

© Amazon MGM Studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Pascal Pictures

Challengers – Film Review

Cast: Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Synopsis: A former tennis prospect turned coach must train her husband when he faces off against his former best friend…

Review: From the football pitch to the tennis court, to the racing tracks of Formula One, passion is usually never in short supply when it comes to professional sports. From the professional athletes playing the sports to the legions of fans in the stadium, and the countless millions watching on TV across the globe, there is a fervour for following our beloved team or individual player that cannot be outmatched. What if those feelings were not contained to merely the respective arenas on which the sports are played, and went beyond those and into the players’ personal lives? Relationships where the initial love and desire sour turn into seething resentment and acrimony in this steamy tennis drama from Luca Guadagnino.

Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) is a tennis prodigy, a star destined for the most unstoppable career trajectory to become one of the best players the sport has ever seen. She captures the attention of lifelong friends Art (Faist) and Patrick (O’Connor), who become instantly smitten by her and desperate to win her affection. She ensnares them both and lays down a tantalising gauntlet, that whoever wins in their upcoming match will be the one who gets Tashi’s number. This challenge to win Tashi’s heart is the first swing in a journey over multiple years in which romance blossoms, once promising careers are cruelly cut short due to injury, and Art and Patrick’s budding friendship in their youth irrevocably damaged. It all comes down to one specific Challenger tennis match, a grudge match in more ways than one, with Tashi watching on from the stands.

Sensuality, desire and seduction are three words inextricably linked to any film directed by Guadagnino. Even in films where you would have thought it would be near impossible to make these themes relevant, such as a story of two young lovers forced to live a life on the run due to their cannibalistic tendencies. It might have seemed impossible to match the sunshine-drenched seduction on display in Call Me By Your Name, but the tennis ball has the peach outmatched because this is arguably the most seductive and horniest film he has made to date. The desire to be the best in your profession, in this case, a tennis player, coincides with the pursuit of a romantic partner/relationship. In Tashi’s mind, tennis is akin to being in a relationship and requires two, or in this case, three people to make it work. It’s this relationship which takes centre court as the boys pursue Tashi, and the ensuing love triangle and the complexities and emotions that go along with their relationships only intensify as the years progress.

By the time the crucial match has come around, saying there’s no love lost would be a massive understatement. The stakes could not be higher, with much more than bruised egos on the line, it is utterly pulsating to watch. Justin Kuritzkes’s screenplay is sharp and fierce with ice-cold and devastatingly brutal jibes and insults, some of which should in time take their place in a montage of some of the best insults/rebukes in cinema. The piercing dialogue, combined with the fierce power struggles that ensue within this bitterly fraught love triangle makes for utterly fascinating viewing, and with three utterly magnetic performances.

O’Connor’s Patrick is exceedingly cocksure and with a smugness that by all rights should make you want to throw a racket, or fire a bunch of tennis balls out of a machine at top speed at him to wipe the smile off his face. Faist’s Art is considerably more withdrawn and focused on getting one over his former friend and arresting his slump in form. Yet the film’s ace is unquestionably Zendaya. She sets the wheels in motion, splintering apart the friendship between Art and Patrick like a tennis racket being mercilessly destroyed due to frustration. It’s a performance that serves as a reminder as to why she is one of the brightest talents in the industry and the best performance she has given on the big screen at least.

A cast fit and firing all on the top of their game is matched by their director. Guadagnino utilises several innovative style choices to illustrate the weight of the stakes that are riding on this match. Sayombhu Mukdeeprom’s cinematography utilises intense, sweat-dripping close-ups of the players in action where drops of sweat even drip onto the camera lens, as if there wasn’t enough sensuality on the screen to pump up the horniness, to wide shots and POV shots of the tennis ball as it is furiously smacked across the tennis court with intense feeling by both players. The tub-thumping disco vibes of the score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross only adds to the intensity of the rivalry being played out before our very eyes. Like a tennis rally constantly going back and forth, the film utilises a lot of time-hopping and non-linear narrative to illustrate the differing dynamics at various points in the lives of these people and how they go from lusting after each other to wanting nothing more than to go for each other’s throats.

It effectively illustrates how these emotions go from one extreme to the other over the course of many years, but with so much zipping around, the time jumps can get a tad confusing. Despite that minor fault, in a time when original ideas in Hollywood are certainly out there but don’t always come to the fore, it is refreshing to see such an exhilarating, original and thrilling piece of cinema be served up. Wimbledon and the other major tennis tournaments have a lot to live up to this year.

A fascinating and impassioned character study of desire, power and an insatiable hunger for success served with pulsating filmmaking and three electric performances. Game, set and match.

2020-2029, Film Review

The Iron Claw (2024)

Posted on February 15, 2024November 21, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

© Access Entertainment, BBC Film, House Productions, A24 and Lionsgate

The Iron Claw – Film Review

Cast: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, Stanley Simons, Lily James

Director: Sean Durkin

Synopsis: Telling the true story of the Von Erich family as they forge their legacy in the world of wrestling in the 1980s…

Review: What comes to mind when you hear the word “wrestling”? Aside from the sight of impossibly muscular individuals wearing tight spandex, prominent wrestling figures from when the WWE was at the peak of its popularity in the late ’90s to early 2000s. Names such as The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, or The Undertaker may come to mind. However, for those who watched wrestling in the early to mid-80s, the names on everyone’s lips may well have been those of the von Erich family, whose rise to prominence and the subsequent tragedy that befell them is captured with raw and devastating emotion by Sean Durkin.

Opening in a car park after family patriarch Jack “Fritz” Von Erich has triumphed in a wrestling match at the peak of his career. After the fight, he impresses on his young sons Kevin and David the importance of being the toughest, the strongest, and the greatest they could be. If they can do this, nothing could harm them in the face of adversity, which is particularly significant as Fritz harbours a superstition that there is a curse on the family. Flash forwards several years later and the four Von Erich brothers, Kevin (Efron), Kerrie (Allen White), David (Dickinson), and Mike (Simons) are being coached by their father and pushing them to be the best wrestlers they can be, for a shot at the world heavyweight title that eluded Fritz. Each one of them exhibits the passion, the fire inside, and the determination to be the one that brings the title home while they establish their names in the world of wrestling.

An essential goal for any sports film, irrespective of the sport, is to captivate the audience with a compelling story, even if they have no prior knowledge of the sport in question. Durkin’s screenplay is a powerful combination of how the world of wrestling works and how even though matches have pre-determined outcomes, it emphasizes the immense physical and mental strain placed on professional wrestlers to perform regularly, which is what they will need to do if they want to have a chance of being the best. Such mental and physical tolls, combined with the weight of expectation placed upon their shoulders by their father, bring the brothers together to form the most unbreakable of brotherly bonds, which will resonate with anyone who shares a similar relationship with a brother. Each of them has their own unique personality, whether it’s David’s no-nonsense pre-match fighting talk, Kerry’s athleticism, Kevin’s imposing physicality, or Mike’s more reserved demeanour. They all share warm and loving chemistry with each other, making it all the more emotionally crushing when the Von Erich curse strikes the family once more.

In an ensemble filled with brilliant and layered performances to leave the audience on the ropes with the emotional weight of the tragedy of the Von Erichs’ story, it is Zac Efron’s leading performance that delivers the knockout blow. Aside from the awe-inspiring physical transformation (he gained 15 pounds for the role), it is a role that is as far from a cry from his early career as a star of Disney musicals as physically possible. However, with his almost impossibly imposing physicality, he delivers arguably the best performance of his career and showcases his talent as a dramatic actor. He strongly loves his family and wrestling, though the love for the latter is severely tested. Durkin’s script examines the brotherhood between the Von Erichs and the stern tutelage of their father. However, such was the weight of expectation and burden placed on their shoulders, where the pressure on them to perform was insurmountable and the culture of toxic masculinity, took a severe toll on them both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, this doesn’t leave much time to explore Kevin’s relationship with Pam (James) as they begin a life together raising a family of their own, while Tierney as the Von Erich matriarch is also left on the sidelines.

The heart-breaking nature of this story means it would be easy for the audience to become too overwhelmed by an overpowering sense of devastation and melancholy. However, Durkin handles these emotional moments with care and sensitivity so that, like a signature wrestling move, they leave the audience floored for maximum impact when they hit. Durkin and his cinematographer Mátyás Erdély recreate the ’80s time period when it comes to the wrestling scenes, beautifully with immaculately choreographed scenes that look authentic and pack a tremendous punch, particularly when it comes to the iron claw itself, the von Erich family’s signature wrestling move. Wrestling is a sport with such physical demands on its performers, often taking the lives of many wrestlers well before their time. Many members of the Von Erich family may have seen their time on this Earth prematurely cut short, but their achievements in wrestling have ensured the Von Erich family has built a legacy that will live forever.

Powered by a career-defining performance from Zac Efron, The Iron Claw‘s tragic true story of brotherhood, wrestling and legacy stakes its claim for the title of one of the most harrowing sports dramas that will leave you down and out for the count.

2020-2029, Film Review

Creed III (2023)

Posted on March 3, 2023April 22, 2025 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

© MGM, United Artists Releasing and Warner Bros. Pictures

Creed III – Film Review

Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Mila Davis-Kent, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, Phylicia Rashad

Director: Michael B. Jordan

Synopsis: After a successful boxing career, Adonis Creed (Jordan) faces a new challenge when a former childhood friend and boxing prodigy (Majors) resurfaces…

Review: To follow in the footsteps of a cinematic icon like Rocky Balboa is far from an easy feat. Yet, with its superb blend of nostalgia, pulsating fight scenes and an unwavering determination for its lead character to honour the legacy of Apollo Creed, as well as forging his own, this is precisely what the spin-off to the Rocky franchise accomplished when its first film fought its way into cinemas to critical acclaim. With its sequel, it continued along this path by adding some deeply personal stakes for both its lead character and his coach. It might have seemed unthinkable the third film would not feature the iconic character of Rocky in any capacity. Yet even without the involvement of Sly Stallone, it has proved it has plenty of fight left in the tank.

Adonis Creed has spent years enjoying a successful boxing career. However, he has now reached a point where he has chosen to retire as a professional fighter and transfer to the role of a coach/promoter and the owner of a gym training the next generation of fighters. On top of this, Adonis also has family responsibilities parenting his daughter Amara (Davis-Kent) with his wife Bianca (Thompson). However, when a former childhood friend Damian Anderson (Majors) comes back into Adonis’s life after spending 18 years in prison, he wants his chance to become a professional fighter and make up for the time he lost while serving his sentence. Initially offering his former friend a chance to rehabilitate and train, Adonis is forced to confront his past relationship with Damian when it becomes clear Damian’s aspirations threaten to challenge the legacy Adonis worked so hard to build.

The script by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin, working from a story co-written with Ryan Coogler, continues to honour the theme beating at the heart of these films: legacy. The boxing aspect unquestionably plays a part in the films, but the emphasis is first and foremost on these characters and their relationships with those closest to them and the legacies they strive to build. For Adonis, he may have enjoyed a phenomenal career as a pro boxer, but the question about legacy becomes even more prescient since Adonis has hung up his gloves. With a daughter to now take care of, given the fierceness and brutality of the sport, the film explores what kind of effect will his boxing career have on her as she grows up and handles the challenges of life. A dilemma which causes tension between Adonis and Bianca. However, there are also some extremely heart-warming moments of the trio as a family, with Bianca also getting much more screen time as she is also having to balance her career and her parental responsibilities.

Yet, despite those heartwarming moments, the crunch of the film’s conflict lies in the relationship between Adonis and Damian. Through a flashback sequence, the relationship between the young Adonis and Damian is established and how events in the past have shaped the men they have become. Fast forward to the present day, and it is fair to say the relationship is complicated. There is initially respect between the two men, but it doesn’t take long for this respect to erode as Damian’s aspirations put him and Adonis on a direct collision course, which leads to an enthralling showdown. He’s certainly the man of the moment given his status as the MCU’s next big bad, and Jonathan Majors delivers a sensational performance as Damian effortlessly combing the intense physicality of the fight scenes with the more restrained emotional moments between these two friends-turned-rivals.

Taking the directorial gloves from Coogler and Steven Caple Jr in his directorial debut, Jordan follows in the footsteps of his predecessors as he puts his own stamp on the film’s fight scenes, proving his talent both in front of and behind the camera. Is there anything this man cannot do? He has made no secret of his love of anime and those influences come through in the fight scenes with intense close-ups of the fighters’ facial expressions, and slow motion before a significant blow is about to be landed. It is an effective combination and adds to the intense physicality of the fight scenes, which particularly comes through when viewed on the big screen. The Creed franchise had a lot to live up to, but through three excellent films which rarely put a foot wrong, it has honoured the legacy of the icon of Rocky Balboa and has given its star to launch himself as one of Hollywood’s newest and most exciting young directors.

Continuing to honour its central themes of family and defining your legacy, while getting another superb performance out of man-of-the-moment Jonathan Majors, ensures this threequel earns delivers the knockout blow and earns its title as a worthy successor to one of the greatest sports film franchises of all time.

2020-2029, Film Review, London Film Festival 2021

King Richard (2021)

Posted on November 18, 2021March 21, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

**© Warner Bros. Pictures, Westbrook Studios, Star Thrower Entertainment and Keepin’ It Reel**

King Richard – Film Review

Cast: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn, Jon Bernthal

Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green

Synopsis: Telling the true story of Richard Williams, who played an influential role in shaping the early tennis careers of his daughters Venus and Serena Williams…

Review: Whenever anyone talks about the greatest athletes of all time, there are two names whose places in that conversation are absolutely assured: Venus and Serena Williams. Here are two extraordinary women, with an incredible 30 Grand Slam wins between them, whose achievements across their glittering careers will have undoubtedly inspired countless generations of young girls to pick up tennis rackets and to follow in their footsteps. However, there is someone, whom the Williams sisters have said that none of their success could have been possible without. That person, is their father, Richard Dove Williams Jr.

As the proud parents of Venus (Sidney) and Serena (Singleton), Richard (Smith) and his wife Brandy (Ellis) are committed to helping their daughters to one day become professional tennis players. With the strong emotional support of Brandi propelling Richard, Venus, and Serena in equal measure, Richard serves as their coach. Both Richard and Brandy work incredibly hard at their day jobs. Additionally, through many hours of training on the tennis court, he’s motivated by his ambition to help his daughters become professional tennis players. He’s a deeply driven and determined man, with a detailed and well-thought-out plan to ensure his daughters become two of the best tennis players to have ever played the game.

Given this is a story about two of the best players to have ever played the sport of tennis, it might seem odd to frame this story mainly from the perspective of their father. Yet, when you watch Will Smith’s performance as this father who will stop at nothing to help his daughters achieve their dreams, it pays incredible dividends as this is Smith’s best performance for quite some time. He’s a man who is fiercely protective of his family and is not afraid to stand up to anyone rude towards his daughters. Though while that may paint him as a kind and generous soul, this is not always the case. Richard has some very stubborn tendencies, and he will not be afraid to speak his mind during meetings. His stubbornness and unwillingness to change his methods and approach to how he conducts business threaten to ruin Venus’s and Serena’s careers before they have even begun.

While Smith’s performance is fully deserving of the plaudits, what must not be lost in the conversation is the performances of the women who are just as much at the centre of this story as Richard. The most important of which is Aunjanue Ellis as Oracene “Brandy” Williams. While Richard is out there on the court, the part she plays to help Venus and Serena carries just as much importance. She lends the support that both her husband and her daughters need as they strive to make their dreams become reality. However, she is absolutely not afraid to speak her mind when the situation calls for it and will take action into her own hands when she needs to. As the young Venus and Serena, Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton both have very bright futures ahead of them. There’s a genuine sisterly bond between them. They recognise that, in a society where being who they are comes with hardship and obstacles from the off, success for one of them will go a long way towards propelling both of them onwards in their careers.

What could have been a very generic story about how the Williams sisters became the superstars that they are, is instead played as an emotional family drama and a tribute to the parents who helped shape them into becoming two of the greatest tennis stars have ever played the game. Green gives plenty of time for the family dynamic to flourish, as it is integral to help shape the story. This is expertly combined with immaculately directed tennis matches as we watch the Williams sisters begin on their path towards tennis superstardom. It serves as a reminder that for every superstar athlete, there are parents who sacrifice so much. They work tirelessly to help mould and shape their children so that one day, they can change the world and write their names into the history books forevermore. This is precisely what Venus and Serena Williams have done. They will be remembered, not only as players who changed the face of the sport of tennis forever but also as two of the best athletes to have ever lived.

What could have been your typical sports biopic is anything but. With an ace of a central performance from Will Smith, King Richard is an inspirational and uplifting family drama that will have you punching the air in delight.

2010-2019, Film Review

Eddie The Eagle (2016)

Posted on April 11, 2016April 29, 2018 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Eddie The Eagle – Film Review

Cast: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman

Director: Dexter Fletcher

Synopsis: A young British ski jumper has aspirations of going to the Olympics, finds his calling as a skier and harbours dreams of representing his country at the Winter Olympics.

Review: Everyone loves an underdog story, particularly when it comes to sport especially here in Britain given our questionable record when it comes to a handful of top international sporting tournaments. What’s more, everyone loves a story of one man pursuing his dream with seemingly every obstacle thrown his face and being ridiculed time after time, but no matter what, they keep on going. In the case of Michael “Eddie” Edwards AKA Eddie the Eagle, this is certainly the case as he stops at nothing to try and achieve his dream of becoming an Olympian, even it means making a fool out of himself in the process.

Fresh from his successful break out role in Kingsman: The Secret Service, along with a very humorous turn in the Kray brothers drama Legend, Taron Egerton really shines as the titular character. He is a bit of a dork, but at the same time he’s very sincere and genuine. What’s more, his indomitable spirit and desire to achieve his dream just make you want to root for him and will him to success. Aiding him on that quest is his fictional coach Bronson Peary, played by Wolverine himself Hugh Jackman. Haunted by his past in the sport, he decides to coach Eddie and himself becomes determined to do everything he can to help Eddie achieve success. The two actors make a formidable duo and it is their friendship that drives the movie forward. Of course the writers did take liberties with the story, but at the core, it’s a powerful true story.

The ski jumping scenes themselves are executed very well with some tremendous camera-work that shows the jumps from the jumper’s perspective,and that might just make anyone watching to never wish themselves to be in that position. Visually these scenes are excellent and the cinematography is tremendous. When Eddie is perched on the top of those ramps, the tension is kicked up a notch as you will him to succeed. The plot is a bit formulaic as we have seen many other sport movies where an underdog triumphs in the face of adversity.

It is a very by-the-numbers story, and it could have gone into more detail in places, but at the same time it is tremendously uplifting with a great feel good factor. Due to Eddie’s spirit and unwavering desire to succeed, you can’t help but smile by the time the credits begin to roll, and makes you think you can go and follow your dream yourself, even if time after time, obstacles keep blocking your road, or in Eddie’s case, his path to a frighteningly high ramp.

The plot is very by-the-numbers, but two very sincere performances from Jackman and Egerton, with enthralling jump sequences, mean Eddie The Eagle soars.

2010-2019, Film Review

Creed (2015)

Posted on January 21, 2016April 22, 2025 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Creed – Film Review

Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Tony Bellew

Director: Ryan Coogler

Synopsis: Adonis Creed is the son of the legendary boxer Apollo Creed, and when he realises he wants to emulate his father and become a professional boxer, he seeks out his father’s old rival, the one and only Rocky Balboa, to train him.

Review: You would think that when a film series gets to its seventh instalment, it’s possibly running out of ideas and that it may be time to put the series to bed. Yet certain franchises keep roaring on, with some making over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. While not quite making those mega bucks the likes of Star Wars and Fast and Furious have been making, the Rocky franchise has come out fighting with a remarkable revival and has reinvigorated it when many thought it was on the ropes and down for the count for good.

The main focus of this new chapter is on that of Adonis “Donnie” Creed, played by Michael B Jordan. Despite being in a decent well paid job, he strives for something different, namely to become a legendary fighter and to emulate the great achievements of his father. With six chapters coming before it, the production team behind the film had a choice: do you go with the established formula that the previous films set out, or try to reinvent the wheel and start fresh? Thankfully, the decision was evidently made to go with the former and tread familiar ground by using most of the notes from mainly the very first film in the franchise, and it does this in glorious fashion, providing a brand new Rocky for a brand new generation.

With the abysmal critical and commercial failure that is Fant4stic unfortunately attached to his CV, Michael B Jordan really shows us what he’s all about as the titular character. He’s driven and determined, but at the same time, feels weighed down and somewhat insecure by the name that he possess and also the legacy of his father. His breakthrough role came with 2012’s Fruitvale Station (which Coogler also directed), and with this, he truly cements himself as one of the finest young actors working today. It is his movie, and he owns it, and was mighty unlucky not to land himself an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Stallone as Balboa, in arguably the role that also made his name in Hollywood, is equally tremendous and gives quite possibly the finest performance ever in his long and illustrious career. The sheer enthusiasm of the young Creed gives him a new breath of life after watching all those he loved slowly fritter away, and when Creed is offered a massive opportunity, it spurs Rocky on even more to see the young fighter succeed. Stallone has been getting nominations and awards aplenty, and a well-deserved Oscar nomination.

Coogler’s passion for the franchise is very apparent, and through his expert direction and the striking cinematography, the fight scenes are tremendously well handled. They’re extremely gripping to watch as you will Donny to succeed in his fight against some extremely obnoxious opponents. As the audience, you want him to succeed in his quest to become as good as his father was. A perfect example of the underdog story, using the benchmark that was laid down by the first movie, and done right, is just about every way possible. This re-imagining of the 1976 classic ensures that the franchise is once again pulling punches aplenty, and will probably have a lot more fights in it in the years to come.

Uplifting, powerful and gripping, producing arguably career-best performances from both Jordan and Stallone, Coogler has maybe given the franchise its best movie yet.

2010-2019, Film Review

Rush (2013)

Posted on November 6, 2013December 2, 2024 by Martin: Through the Silver Screen

Rush – Film Review

Cast: Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, Stephen Mangan, and Christian McKay

Director: Ron Howard

Synopsis: An account of the rivalry between Formula 1 drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda, as they rise to the top of Formula 1 and the pulsating and horrifying race to win the 1976 Grand Prix title

Review: An enthralling and fast-paced adrenaline ride. Ron Howard does a magnificent job in giving the audience a thrilling account of the fierce rivalry between these two very skilled and determined drivers. From the moment the two rivals met at a Formula 3 event, you immediately see the stark contrast between the two drivers and their immediate mutual dislike of the other. On the one hand, James Hunt lives his life to the maximum with a lot of partying, drinking and women. This outgoing nature does not impress his wife, Suzy Miller (Olivia Wilde). While Lauda is far calmer and collected, he uses great intelligence and precision to give him the edge over his rival. While both are very different people in terms of personality, you do find yourself rooting for both of them to succeed in their aim to triumph.

The racing scenes are brilliantly recreated. You really feel your heart beat as the races are played out on screen. You really get the sense that these two are both taking death head-on with a burning desire and drive to succeed in their quest to win the Formula 1 title. Their burning desire to win and defeat the other is very strong in spite of the very real dangers that a sport such as Formula 1 had at that time, as mentioned in the film, there were at least a couple of deaths in every Formula One season.

Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl both give superb performances as James Hunt and Niki Lauda respectively. Hemsworth does an outstanding job portraying both Hunt’s charismatic and party-going nature, while at the same time demonstrating the competitive, but very reckless driver that Hunt was. Brühl also gives a strong performance as Lauda as we see his great intelligence and knowledge when it comes to Formula 1 racing and equally his determination to recover and compete for the title only weeks after a Formula 1 accident that almost killed him. Alexandra Maria Lara provides a strong performance as Lauda’s other half Marlene Lauda. She is supportive of Lauda and really comes into her own, especially after the accident that almost killed Lauda, as she is the figure of support that Lauda needs. Olivia Wilde does a great job in portraying Suzy Miller, the other half of Hunt, who soon becomes alienated from Hunt’s brash and outgoing lifestyle.

All in all, Rush was a thrilling spectacle. The film is well directed, the racing scenes are brilliantly shot and the film is accompanied with a fantastic score. The races really get your heart racing. You are rooting for both of the lead actors to achieve their goals, but at the same time, you fear that there could be an accident at any given moment in the film. The two lead actors both deliver Oscar worthy performances. It is an exciting adventure that will keep your heart racing for a long time after you leave the cinema.