When movies about dysfunctional
families are funny they really make very good laughs. And when they are serious
it makes you feel miserable. August: Osage County can be the most interesting
of that kind seeing from Hollywood lately. This movie swings in between a drama
and a sarcastic dark comedy. And there are plenty of reasons for the movie
lovers to gulp this in one go.
August: Osage County is based on Tracy
Letts Pulitzer prize winning play of the same name. Crowed gatherings in one
sitting, lengthy talk sequences, excessive amount of drama and emotions makes
you feel the stage presence of some sort. Maybe they were inherited by the
original play though the movie takes few steps out of the house and explain
some sequences in a different way. But still as a whole everything here takes
places under one roof.
Barbara Weston (Julia Roberts) is
a strong willed eldest daughter of the 3 girls of Weston family. Her mother
Violet (Meryl Streep) is a pill addicted cancer patient and an impossible
character to deal with. Their collision course was inevitable after the family
gathers at the house following a tragic incidence involving their father. Despite
the family going through the grieving process they find room to criticize their
twisted characters.
August: Osage County is a heavily
character and acting driven movie. The cast is simply overwhelming to begin
with. Meryl and Julia are two incredibly talented performers and both the main
and the supporting actresses’ roles are played with equal level of power and
energy. And then there is Chris Cooper, Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette
Lewis and the cast goes on and on. It is obvious that when you put so many
talents like that in to one movie it can either be a blast or a total failure.
But August: Osage County manages to survive on the middle ground. If not it
could have being a total disappointment.
The director John Wells is more known for his TV
work (ER -1994, The West Wing -1999) prior to his talked about The Company Men
(2010). However August: Osage County does not show real potential as a movie
thought it might have being a powerful stage play. Without the cast and
splendid acting it could have being easily forgotten. Especially Meryl Streep
definitely save this movie a thousand times with her blasting performance which
made her nominated for the best actress in 2013 Oscars. And for a moment I stop
to wonder if she really deserved it than Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine.
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