Film: Rush

My, but it was nice to be able to walk to something again. Close enough, and a fine evening, if chilly coming home. And, for once, the usher apologised for having walked right past without taking my ticket. An improvement, then, for the Odeon Kensington.

There was a scattering of people there, which, I guess, is good for a Wednesday. But then, they do have these Orange Wednesday Two-for-One cinema ticket offers, which probably helps. And there was an old man with a cane, who gingerly made his way to the front row. I guess he's really into his motor racing.

The ads, as someone remarked coming out, had, as you'd expect, a conspicuous motoring theme. And so to the main feature. Rush, directed by Ron Howard, highlights the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda, which culminated in the 1976 F1 season, during which Lauda suffered a horrendous crash that left him badly burned and permanently scarred, and nearly killed him. And then he was back racing a month later.

Does that turn you off if you're not a F1 fan? DON'T LET IT! I'm not either - although, after this film, I'm not so sure. The racing sequences are thrilling, and, despite the very interesting personal stories of the drivers, the races are the thing I was always dying for the film to get back to. And my, such races.. you nearly need a seatbelt just to watch them. The suspense, the tension.. the camera angles, the roar of the engines. O yes, it has all that. It's great. And I don't know about the reviewers saying we were rooting for one or the other - I was rooting for both. Terrific film, with a real sense of the period and some great music of the day. Go see, even if you never took an interest in F1. And if you are interested in it.. what are you waiting for?

Small quibble about the toilets - no toilet paper. In more than just my cubicle, by the sound of it. But they were fragrant, at least.

Tomorrow night, I'm off to a free preview of The Merry Wives of Windsor, in Croydon - which will be my first time there. And for the weekend, I'm taking myself off to Greywell, for some festivities - weather promised good!