![]() Confused? Suffice it to say that this is a world where mothers do not ask about the whereabouts of babies they just delivered and where telephone directories are apparently as yet unknown. Unaccountably, neither can ever find the other, and neither knows that their child is alive. Their romance lasts all of eight hours, after which they are sundered. Mom (Keri Russell) is a virtuoso cellist, while dad (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is a name in the downtown rock scene. In a long and loopy flashback, we discover that little August is the love child of two rising musical stars. He flees to New York, where his talent is exploited by one Wizard (Robin Williams), the Fagin of the piece, who shelters a troop of pint-size buskers and re-christens his latest property August Rush. If only he could let the melodies inside him out, he wackily muses, his parents might hear it and find him. Trapped in an orphanage, he's sustained only by his hopes for reuniting with his parents and his love of music. The prodigy in question is played by the talented Freddie Highmore ("Finding Neverland"), who here is confined to showcasing his dimples and staring heavenward in imbecilic rapture. ![]() How else to explain the cruelly timed release of "August Rush," a wretched confection that only the most determined will be able to count among their blessings? Partly an updating of "Oliver!" this fairy tale drama of a musical prodigy's search for his parents might temporarily put you off music, children and families altogether. Screenwriters: Nick Castle, James V.Someone in Hollywood must have it in for Thanksgiving. Pictures presents a Southpaw Entertainment production in association with CJ Entertainment And nearly stealing the film is young Jamia Simone Nash with her sassy line readings and astonishing voice. John Mathieson’s inspired cinematography turn contemporary Manhattan into a Dickensian world where an orphan might triumph and people feel the sound of healing music. From gospel and rock to classical and symphonic, music carries its characters and story ever forward to their destiny. It will be played in Central Park, where Lyla is a featured cellist and Louis is nearby, reunited with his old band.Ĭlearly, the film does not work on any realistic level. When August wanders into a church, the pastor (Mykelti Williamson) is so impressed with the boy’s organ composition that he brings the youngster to the Juilliard School of Music. Its sounds resonate in his head: In the whoosh of subway trains, noise from cars, thumps of a basketball and the clatter, hum and buzz of everyday life, he feels music flow through him. His musical gifts explode when he comes to New York. He believes he can reach out to them through music, that they can “hear” each other. Louis, too, gives up music, opting for a business career in San Francisco.Ī kind social worker (Terrence Howard) urges Evan into family placement, but the boy never gives up hope of finding his parents. Shattered, she loses interest in playing and relocates to Chicago, where she teaches music. When the pregnant Lyla is hit by a car and gives birth prematurely, her father (William Sadler), mindful of her career, gives the infant up for adoption but tells his daughter that her baby died. The two spend the night only to be torn apart by circumstances. In flashback, a young Irish guitarist-singer, Louis (Rhys Meyers), encounters a shy, young cellist, Lyla (Russell), on a rooftop overlooking the square. ![]() It is in Washington Square 11 years ago where Evan was conceived. Evan (Highmore), whom he renames August Rush, is a child prodigy whose skills reward him with a prime spot in Washington Square. Instead of a gang of young thieves, the “Wizard” (Robin Williams, doing his best with a poorly written role) operates a team of young musicians who live in an abandoned theater and play for money on street corners. ![]() “August” adopts the structure of “Oliver Twist” whereby an orphan runs away to New York and falls in with a Fagin-like character. The film should attract a loyal following, but critics will be mixed. Freddie Highmore again demonstrates he is one of the industry’s top child actors, while Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers continue to climb to stardom in roles that demand the utmost sensitivity. will rely on the cast to help sell this movie. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |