If you need a delightful, warm holiday film (and I know you do) then you need to don your mittens, coat, and scarf then skip on over to the movie theater to watch August Rush. I love this time of year because the cold weather and shorter days meet their match in the best films Hollywood has to offer. Now, now, I understand that the reason all of the “good” films are saved for this part of the year is primarily for the Oscars, but I don’t care. I love cinema. I dislike winter. Mix the best with the worst and you make many a winter day for me. I digress, back to August…
Freddie Highmore, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Terrance Howard provide the best performances in the film. Remember when we all were wowed by Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense? Or, to a lesser degree (because I was never really on board with this one) by Dakota Fanning in I am Sam? Well I think Freddie Highmore has them all beat. What an fantastic child actor. As far as Mr. Meyers…I just like him. He’s got that adorable accent, black hair, blue eyes, and an on screen presence that makes you wish he was your big brother. Terrance Howard has also been a favorite of mine since he made me believe that it may indeed be “Hard out Here for a Pimp” in Hustle and Flow. The three of them together are a happy little dream team of make-you-feel-good. Robin Williams also gave a great performance, but he didn’t add any feel-good-ness so I omitted him from the list.
My only critique of the film (and my sister did not agree with me on this) was that I felt the ending was a bit abrupt. I was all right there with them, edge of my seat, fixing to cry, when the credits started to roll. Is it so wrong to have wanted a couple of more minutes? Ah, but maybe that is an indication of how great the film really was…I wanted more.
To not give anything (else) about the film away (and no you do not know the “whole story” simply from watching the preview), I will end my review with a simple charge: go see August Rush. The music is really incredible (soundtrack has been added to that dreaded Christmas List my mother insists on me compiling), the acting is superb, and who doesn’t want to feel all warm inside for a couple of hours in order to escape the freezing temperatures and gray skies? I thought so. Remember, coat, mittens, scarf, August Rush.
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November 28, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Brian
Wow, another person who loved August Rush.
Your review reminds me of another review that I just read, so much so that I had to double check to see if I had indeed already read your review (even though you just posted it today).
Can’t wait to go see it! I want to feel good too!
November 28, 2007 at 4:51 pm
diremirth
The other review also used a Haley Joel comparison! I understand your need to double check.
I’ve just heard a lot of buzz about the Highmore kid (not undeserved) and remembered the last few times Tinseltown was buzzing about kids was for Osment and Fanning. It then became important for me to declare to the world that I like Freddie more than the lot of them!
November 28, 2007 at 7:00 pm
jonathanephraim
Well my review might be a little older, but I think yours was better written. Made me want to see it again. It’s funny we both mentioned Haley Joel; but even more crazy is the fact that I had originally included something about my disappointment with the abruptness of the ending; but then I took it out.
Great photo…that was probably my favorite scene in the whole movie.
I want to go see it again now….
November 28, 2007 at 7:38 pm
diremirth
I’m glad to hear someone else felt that way about the ending. I felt all alone in my opinion…especially since my movie going sister disagreed with my assessment. I think she is too kind. It was a a great movie, but much like great soup it would have been better with a smidge more salt before serving.
December 5, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Becky
hey Emilee- if you enjoyed Freddie Highmore in this- you should revisit “Finding Neverland” in which he played the inspiration for the Peter Pan character. That was 3 or 4 years ago and he was so good even then, it made me cry! Remind me and I’ll loan it to you.
March 5, 2008 at 8:16 pm
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March 13, 2008 at 4:43 am
Kate
I finally watched August Rush, and I did very much like it.
My only complaint is that they should have given Keri Russell at least one cello lesson before she attempted to fake play the cello. It was not realistic at all.
but alas, the ending had a cello concerto which is on my iPod (Elgar) and Moondance (also on the iPod), so I’ll forget about that complaint for a minute.
Thanks for the review and the recommendation. I’ll have to watch some of the other ones (but it might take me 4 months to get around to it. ha ha. oh pharmacy school . . .)
February 14, 2009 at 7:24 am
chit-ttra
i LoVe auGuSt RusH aNd frEdDiE hIgHmOrE vErY mUcH……!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!