Rush

Author(s): Ross
Location: Memphis, TN

“Rush"

Directed by Michael MannWritten by Russell Gewirtz
Original Score by James Newton Howard
Produced by Micahel Mann
Edited by William Goldenberg
Cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki

Principal Cast:

Tony Thurman - Russell Crowe
Mike Donnelly - Heath Ledger
Brianne Thurman - Julianne Moore
Brian Hart - Don Cheadle
Insider - Naveen Andrews

Tagline: “N/A”

Synopsis: Mike Donnelly (Heath Ledger) is a photo journalist for a major news magazine. He is on assignment in India to profile their culture. But, disaster strikes when a nuclear reactor under construction leaks. It kills hundreds of workers and many more civilians. Others are infected by high doses of radiation. Donnelly is in Bombay when he gets a call from his insider (Naveen Andrews) informing him of the disaster. The insider happens to be caught in the radiation death zone near the reactor. So, the journalist races to the site of the leak only to discover bodies lying on the ground all around. He snaps off photos of the carnage. He, then catches sight of the body of his insider near a ditch. But, before he could do anything else he hears screams. Stunned but curious, he follows the screams to the back of a warehouse. He sees a scared woman standing up holding her young child in front of what appeared to be a large ditch in the ground. Behind her is what appeared to be members of the Indian military keeping watch over other scared villagers. He snaps off photos of this. But, then in a quick instant, a soldier turns around and executes the woman and her child. They are then pushed into the ditch and another villager is brought before the military.

Donnelly is absolutely disturbed by this butchery. The Indian government is trying to cover-up the reactor leak. India had been under scrutiny of their nuclear energy program and an accident like this would end it all together. He takes more photos, but then suddenly a government security guard stumbles upon the photographer. Making a quick decision before the guard alerted the rest of the military, Mike Donnelly shot the guard with his small pistol. But, the echo of the shot rang out over the complex. The military spots the photographer, and he is forced to make a run for it. He sprints away from the pursuing soldiers. He finds safe haven in a makeshift shelter of tree branches along a river, but is pinned down as the military searches all around him. When clear, he makes a quick cell phone call to his headquarters in New York City. He quickly tries to explain his situation, but the call is cut off and the signal is lost. The military was blocking all signals in or out of the area. But, before the call was cut, he told his editor, Brian Hart, he was in trouble and on the run. Hart is concerned and suspects by the urgency that this had to be something of monumental proportions. Whatever information he was carrying, the editor had to get it back, so he calls upon a bounty hunting mercenary-for-hire named Tony Thurman (Russell Crowe) to find the journalist and extract him safely.

Thurman has been dishonorably discharged by the marines for a crime he didn’t commit. His senior officer was involved in illegal activities and he made Thurman be the fall-man for him. So, for the last many years he has been looked down upon by his family and community. Disillusioned and hungry for a second chance, he finds it in the mission of retrieving Donnelly. Now he has an opportunity to not only redeem himself, but help reveal information that could change the way the world looks at things for a very long time.

What the press would say:

Michael Mann‘s “Rush“ is an extremely powerful film. It is powered by performances that leave you feeling for the characters. Russell Crowe plays Tony Thurman and he is extremely fitting as the man who longs for redemption. You root for him to succeed through the dangers. Heath Ledger plays Mike Donnelly and he is equally up to the task as he tries to evede capture at all costs. He vividly portrays the fear and shock of a man in his situation. Don Cheadle is spot-on as always as the editor of the magazine.

Michael Mann really paints a graphic picture of danger and flaws in society. The executions are raw and make you think about “what if this actually could happen?” He brings in characters that you feel for and a grittiness and intrigue unsurpassed by few. The screenplay is realistic and capture the emotion of the characters as they are in a high-stress battle of their livelihood. Shot by “Children of Men” cinemetographer Emmanuel Lubeazki, the film brings to life ground-level reality of fighting for survival. This movie is handled with care as Mann really intends to send a message instead of providing eye-candy.

Possible Nominations

Best Picture
Best Director- Michael Mann
Best Actor- Russell Crowe
Best Supporting Actor- Heath Ledger
Best Original Screenplay- Russell Gewirtz
Best Cinemetography- Emmanuel Lubezki