A film about Formula One drivers sounds like it would suit a pretty specific audience: People who watch F1. Needless to say, I wasn’t overly excited to see it.

The previews for “Rush” had me thinking it would just be fast cars and Chris Hemsworth’s hair, and, although both were featured heavily, I found myself surprisingly absorbed by the movie.

The film revolves around racing rivals James Hunt (Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) and their competition to be the F1 World Champion in the 1970s. Although complete opposites (Hunt is driven by passion and thrill; Lauda by calculation and rationality), the two are forever drawn together by their skill as drivers, culminating in the politics and drama of the 1976 World Championship.

The film is based on real events, which, depending on how truthful the filmmakers are, seem to have been just calling out to be made into a movie. I won’t give away specifics, but the tension and build-up of the competition had me gripped and desperate to know the result as though I were a Grand Prix spectator.

The story is brought to life by director Ron Howard (“Frost/Nixon”), who intersperses scenes with archive footage of the actual races. I was also pleased Howard managed to stray away from gratuitous shots of Hemsworth topless, as seems to happen with Hemsworth’s other projects, allowing us to enjoy a solid acting performance.

Although the poster-boy for the movie, Hemsworth and his hair are all but outshone by Brühl’s portrayal of Lauda. Brühl manages to turn an unlikeable character into someone who the audience can root for.

Both performances, along with a solid supporting cast, make this a film much more about the people and personalities than just some cars driving around a track.

_MOVE gives “Rush” 4 out of 5 stars._