Broadway and Hollywood have a very complicated relationship. It can often be argued that the former created the latter. People go far in both categories, some more in one than the other. For years they have built off of each other. The biggest connection however would be movies based on Broadway shows and vice versa. Sometimes, they translate well. Sometimes, they are awful. For August: Osage County, it's a mixed bag.
Based on the play of the same name by Tracy Letts, August: Osage County is about a family that is reunited by the sudden death of the family patriarch. Every member of the family has something to hide, and needless to say, it is a less than pleasant reunion.
What works about the film is the truth that the characters find in each other. There is no mistaking how deeply written each one is written, all of them have their unique quirks and secrets. The script is fully fleshed out, and it absolutely has a deftly original story to tell that makes common tropes interesting again. It goes to EXTREMELY dark places that make you feel very uneasy, but in the end there is payoff. I will also say this, it may have one of the most tension filled and interesting dinner scenes I have ever watched.
What doesn't totally work about the film (but doesn't ruin it) is that it IS a film. The acting in this movie is nothing short of transcendent (I'll review the individuals in a minute), the problem is that I can't help feeling it would be more at home on a stage. The dialogue is incredibly intellectual, nothing that goes over your head, but I feel it would be much more appreciated by the theater goer as opposed to the film goer. It feels almost similar in tone to Sam Shepard's play Buried Child. (Coincidentally, Shepard plays the family patriarch in this film's opening scene.)
Make no mistake about it, Meryl Streep is one of the greatest performers in history. This movie does nothing to change that. This role however is much less refined and than anything she has done in the past few years. As the pill popping mother and widow, she excels in the capacity as someone who is clinging on to whatever she can, and as always Streep does it with complete immersion into her character.
Also going against his type, is Chris Cooper as Uncle Charles. Recently playing a string of villains, it is refreshing to see Cooper as a champion for innocence and peace that serves as the film's main anchor to reality.
Continuing his streak of winning my approval is Benedict Cumberbatch as Little Charles. He plays his role with a slight naiveté and clumsiness that while not comical, serves as the light hearted spirit that keeps the film from becoming too dark. I was also very impressed by his ability to produce an American accent that doesn't feel manufactured.
This film has an amazing ensemble cast that I could go on for hours about, but it would save time to just mention that Ewan McGregor, Juliette Lewis, Julianne Nicholson, Abigail Breslin, Dermot Mulroney, and everyone all create brilliantly well rounded characters that make this film a triumph.
However, above all, Andrew's Standout for this movie would be Miss Julia Roberts. What is easily her best performance in years, Roberts deeply invests herself into her performance as the daughter who is losing everything that she holds near and dear. With a strong will, a keen spirit, and a rebellious spirit that refuses to be silenced, she dominates the screen with such passion for the art. She even manages to steal the scene from Meryl Streep at certain points. Yes. She's that good.
Featuring a brilliant ensemble, and a sharply written script, August: Osage County is one to check out. But it will be most appreciated by the Broadway fan.
B
No comments:
Post a Comment