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★★★
Directed by: #AdamBrashaw
Written by: #AdamBrashaw
Starring: #AdamBrashaw, #MichaelWilson, #ChaseArmitage
Even big-budget Hollywood movies don’t come much more action-packed than Rush. From beginning to end, Adam Brashaw’s 10-minute long action flick is adrenaline-filled, but immaculately controlled, carnage. And, whilst the film has its share of problems, if you’re craving that boost of excitement that can only come from watching people jumping over rooftops, hanging out of vans that are driving too fast or beating the living hell out of each other in beautifully choreographed fight sequences, then this may just be the film for you.
Daniel (Danny) Rush is a cop on a mission. After years of tracking down the notorious criminal psychopath, Ronnie Keys, he and his partner, Sean, are closing in. But after the ambush goes bad, Sean is left for dead, and Danny is left with a thirst for revenge.
Writer and director, Adam Brashaw, also stars in the lead role of Daniel Rush, and alongside Chase Armitage (Sean) and Michael Wilson (Ronnie Keys) is one of three characters we spend the entirety of our time with. So it’s important these characters, their relationships and chemistry between them are firmly established. And in that respect, this is a bit of a mixed bag.
For me, at least, not enough time was spent establishing the relationship between Danny and Sean. It may seem like an unfair criticism for a film less than 10-minutes long, and I kind of agree. But the film does such a great job of setting up Ronnie’s character – and even the nature of his relationship with Danny – within that time, I can’t help but think our cop duo should have had a similar level of treatment. However, the chemistry is there, and it’s clear from what little dialogue there is that these two have been together for quite some time.
Speaking of dialogue…it’s sparse. Which honestly isn’t a bad thing, it’s not the film’s strong point. And although informative, there are moments which feel awkward or forced. It certainly dwells around the surface, there’s nothing too deep here. But then again, you don’t watch action films for the deep philosophical conversations––do you?
Quite brilliant though, is Adam Brashaw's superbly restrained choreography and relaxed editing style. The slower pace of the editing – the longer cuts – allow us to not only stay immersed in the action for longer but also ensures it never loses our interest. And the action sequences – whether it's the parkour rooftop scene or the fistfight in the speeding van – are beautifully crafted.
Chase Armitage's cinematography compliments Brashaw's work incredibly well, and when Xijin Chan's blood-pumping soundtrack is taken into account, we have an extremely well put-together and entertaining action romp. Yes, there are issues here. But you'd be hard-pressed to find a more action-packed 10-minutes of film out there.
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