Ron Howard is one of the best filmmakers working in Hollywood at the moment and he is back in the director's chair this week with In The Heart of the Sea, a movie that sees him reunite with actor Chris Hemsworth for their second project together. The Heart of the Sea is based on the book by Nathaniel Philbrick and follows the crew of a whaling ship who become the hunted - this is the original story that inspired the novel, Moby Dick.
Rush
In The Heart of the Sea is set to be a movie not to miss this Christmas and to celebrate the release of the film, we take a look back at Ron Howard's filmmaking career and some of his greatest movie achievements. We start with the fantastic Rush, which was released back in 2013.
Rush was a great sporting biopic that followed Formula One drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda and the rivalry between them during the 1970s - which almost cost one of them their life. Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl teamed up for the first time as they took on the roles of Hunt and Lauda.
Rush was a movie that I looked forward to for the whole of 2013 and it was a movie that really did not disappoint. For me, Rush was one of the best sporting biopics that I have ever had the pleasure of sitting down to watch as it is a fast-paced, thrilling and exciting ride that doesn't give audiences a chance to catch their breath.
When you sit down to watch a movie that is based around the world of the sport of Formula One, you expect to see some great on-track action and the race sequences in this movie are just fantastic. The racing scenes in Rush really do highlight the dangers and risks that drivers took every time that they got into a car. While these moments in the film are incredibly adrenaline fuelled, it is not all about the racing.
Rush is also an intense character study about two of F1's most iconic figures. Hunt and Lauda couldn't be more different in the way that they live their lives and race their cars: Hunt is a laid back party boy, while Lauda is meticulous in his preparations for each and every race. Their rivalry captured the imagination of the F1 audience and turned the sport into what it is today.
Daniel Bruhl really does capture the obsessive nature of Lauda and the total drive he has to succeed. His battle back from horrific crash injuries is powerful stuff as he is driven back into a car by the success of Hunt. It is also great to see Hemsworth take on a meatier role, and he really does get the swagger of Hunt down to a fine art. It really is a fantastic performance from both men.
The banter and the dislike between the Hunt and Lauda really does drive the film forward - the rivalry also drove the careers of both men. However, as the movie progresses there is a respect that develops between them - the final scene between Hemsworth and Bruhl really helps make that point; it is one of the best moments in the film.
Rush is an incredibly exciting story that sees two men lay everything on the line to be the best and win. Hemsworth and Bruhl are just fantastic as they really get under the skin of these great and iconic Formula One champions. For me, their performances as Hunt and Lauda are the best of both of their acting careers to date. I know that we are used to seeing Hemsworth take on more action/blockbuster kind of roles, but I would love to see him take on more dramatic parts as Rush is a movie where he really excels and truly shows off his acting talents.
Howard has delivered a slick and exciting film that grabs you from the opening minute to the closing credits. He perfectly balances the high-speed action with the great human drama… resulting in a powerful movie both on and off the track.
Rush was both a critical and commercial success when it was released back in 2013 and went on to pick up a string of nominations at the likes of the Baftas, Satellite Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Rush is one of the best movies of Howard's filmmaking and it was the last time that we saw him in the director's chair… I can't wait for him to return later this week with the highly anticipated In The Heart of the Sea.
In The Heart of the Sea is released 26th December.
Tagged in Ron Howard Chris Hemsworth Daniel Bruhl