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"You Hear The
Music, Too?" |
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Directed by Kristen
Sheridan - Written by
Nick Castle, James V.
Hart
Starring Freddie
Highmore, Keri Russell,
Jonathan Rhys Meyers,
Robin Williams
Distributed by Warner
Brothers -
2007 - 100 mins - Rated
PG |
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Richard Propes'
Review
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A- |
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Can you hear the music? |
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Stop
reading for a moment.
Just listen.
Can you hear the music? Perhaps you hear it in the blowing of the
wind, the laughing of a child, the gentle humming of your computer
or, quite literally, through the songs on the radio.
But, can you? Hear it, I mean?
The music is always there, for those who will listen is the central
idea behind the delightfully entertaining and inspirational "August
Rush," the opening night film for the 2007 Heartland Film Festival
in Indianapolis as it begins a brief festival run before its
national release on November 21st.
In the film, Lyla (Keri Russell) is an up-and-coming cellist who
ends up pregnant after a tender one-night stand with a sulking Irish
rocker named Louis (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). When her domineering
father (William Sadler) keeps her from meeting him again the next
night, both Lyla's and Louis's life journeys are changed forever.
In essence, they stop hearing the music.
A complicated birth leads Lyla's father to forge the paperwork
giving up custody of the newborn infant, while deceiving Lyla into
believing the infant had not survived.
Now a ward of the state, young Evan lives the next eleven years at
the Walden County Home for Boys where he is regarded as a freak for
his undying belief that his parents will find him. An encounter with
a Division of Children's Services caseworker (Terrence Howard)
provides him with some desperately needed hope and, in turn, Evan
runs away from the Home and ends up in New York City under the
guidance of the Faginesque Wizard (Robin Williams) who, like Fagin,
leads a rag tag group of young street musicians with a combination
of musical mentorship, tough live, emotional abuse and fear.
Wizard, who bestows upon Evan the moniker of August Rush after he
sees the name on a passing truck, quickly discovers the young man's
previously undiscovered natural musical talent.
Directed by Kirsten Sheridan (Jim's daughter and writer of "In
America") based upon a script by experienced writer/director Nick
Castle and James V. Hart, "August Rush" benefits greatly from a
delightful cast and John Mathieson's transcendent, fantasy-like
camera work that perfectly complements the film's soaring emotional
center.
As Evan/August, Freddie Highmore again serves up a reminder that
he's one of Hollywood's most gifted young actors in offering a
performance that radiates the young man's unshakeable faith and
passion and hope without ever allowing us to forget that this is an
impressionable young man who simply wants to be found.
Likewise, Keri Russell serves up her second award-worthy performance
in 2007 as the heartbroken Lyla. Watching Lyla's transformation from
brokenness to once again hearing the music in her life is beautiful
to behold. Russell, who became a mother just this year, clearly
tapped into her maternal instincts with one of 2007's gentlest, most
heartwarming performances.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers brought vividly to mind Glen Hansard's
performance in this year's indie jewel "Once," with a performance as
Louis that vacillates between romanticism and rage. It's easily Rhys
Meyer's best work in years.
In supporting roles, Robin Williams is mesmerizing as the closest
thing "August Rush" has to a bad guy. Wizard seems to care about the
boys one moment, only to become sharply punitive at the first sign
of betrayal. While he preaches eloquently about hearing the music,
one gets the sense that occasionally Wizard's music is the psychosis
in his own mind that has betrayed him.
Leon G. Thomas III shines as Arthur, one of Wizard's boys who first
discovers Evan, and Terrence Howard offers his usual dependable
performance as the compassionate caseworker. Young Jamia Simone Nash
steals her scenes with an angelic singing voice and commanding stage
presence, while Mykelti Williamson does nicely as her father.
It seems a baffling choice that Sheridan, who shared an Oscar
nomination for the "In America" script, would defer the screenplay
for "August Rush" to writers responsible for such forgettable films
as "Hook," "The Boy Who Could Fly," "Sahara" and other cinematic
flops, though Hart did also give us this year's "The Last Mimzy."
Sheridan, it seems, could have smoothed out the film's sporadic fits
of "trying too hard to be inspirational" dialogue and an overall
storyline that is a tad too predictable given the film's overall
fantastic tone.
From wondering how Lyla's father could possibly pull off the deceit
about the baby without anyone in the hospital saying anything to
wondering how such esteemed establishments as the New York
Philharmonic and Juilliard would allow a 12-year-old boy to simply
be taken away by somene claiming to be his father, there were little
holes in the storylines fabric that also tore away ever so slightly
at the ability to completely surrender to the storyline. The end
result was that when "August Rush" reached its climactic moments,
the called for tears of joy were replaced instead by merely moist
eyes.
Despite minor flaws in the screenplay, "August Rush" is a
delightful, inspiring and life-affirming film that deserves to be
one of Fall 2007's hits. A perfect outing for parents, children,
families and dates, "August Rush" and its ensemble cast hit all the
right notes.
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© Written by Richard Propes -
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