Howard creates a persuasive sense of the time and place, and the race sequences are impressively mounted. This is thrillingly tense stuff, even if you know how the story panned out.

While it has its moments of sentimentality, the film as a whole is rather shallow and fails to capture the soul of either man.

This thrilling drama is no more for petrol-heads only than Titanic is solely of interest to historic ship enthusiasts.

With showmanship on display from all three men, 'Rush' is a mature picture that balances our need for excitement with our search for truth.