August Rush
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DVD details
Actor: Freddie Highmore, Jonathan Rhys MeyersBrand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 114 minutes
Published: 2008-03-01
DVD Release Date: 2008-03-11
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Model: 76368
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- There?s music in the wind and sky. Can you hear it? And there?s hope. Can you feel it? The boy called August Rush can. The music mysteriously draws him, penniless and alone, to New York City in a quest to find ? somehow, someway ? the parents separated from him years earlier. And along the way he may also find the musical genius hidden within him.Experience the magic of this rhapsodic epic of the
DVD Reviews of August Rush
DVD Review: Of Mozart and Moondance
Summary: 3 Stars
"August Rush," directed by Kirsten Sheridan (daughter of Jim Sheridan, In America), tells the tale of a lonely orphan (Freddie Highmore, Finding Neverland (Widescreen Edition)) who happens to be a musical prodigy (quite possibly an autistic savant). Lost in the system and tortured by the other boys for his strangeness, Evan clings to the music he finds running through him and the harmonics he can hear in nature. He's afraid to leave the boys' home, even though a new caseworker (Terrence Howard) seems to really connect with him. But one fateful day, Evan follows the music to New York City in an attempt to find his parents; he's sure that he can hear their music out there, and that he will find them through music.
We also meet Lyla Novacek (Keri Russell), a gifted cellist from a sheltered life, and Louis (Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors - The Complete First Season), a rough-around-the-edges Irish singer, as the two are drawn together for a night of rooftop hanky-panky under artificial moonlight (and the constant strains of Van Morrison's Moondance). Throughout the film, we see what happens in the eleven years after that one-night-stand; Lyla becomes withdrawn and stops performing publically, and Louis quits the family band in order to pursue a business career. Both are miserable (and conveniently single). Look for the cameo by Moonlight - The Complete Series's Alex O'Loughlin as Louis's brother. Keri and Jonathan both give strong performances (Jonathan in particular is a captivating screen presence). Jonathan sings his own material; he also performed on-screen in Velvet Goldmine.
Based on the first part of the movie looking at Evan's lack of social skills, his high-level language, his introverted nature, and his interaction with the world around him, it seems quite possible that he's an autistic savant (Aspgerger's, perhaps). He doesn't have the skills needed to keep him safe on the streets, so he falls in with Wizard (Robin Williams). The film's setup is classic Oliver Twist: orphan (Evan) falls under the "tutelage" of Fagin (Wizard). Wizard has his large gang of orphaned street kids busk on corners, turning over their wages to him. Evan, who's never picked up an instrument in his life, suddenly masters the guitar (the first of the movie's dubious musical choices) and busks for Wizard. This questionable casting choice results in Williams donning cowboy getup, but still playing straight Williams; it doesn't work for the role, since as a PG-rated film Williams isn't allowed to be as violent as the role demands; I kept seeing Patch Adams - Collector's Edition instead of Wizard. Also, I found the role of Wizard to be a disturbing one; to me, there seemed to be suggestions of pedophilic elements present (in one scene, Wizard and Evan are stretched out next to each other, and in another outtake, he has his arms wrapped around Evan in an embrace). He comes across like a child pimp, making phone deals to sell Evan off to the highest bidder. It's unfortunate for Williams' character; Wizard has some of the deepest discussions about the nature of music and musical genius only to turn out to be so cruel. He sets Evan up in a prime busking spot, but after a police raid, Evan's on his own once more, where he falls in with a minister who admits him to Juilliard. The climax revolves around Evan's ultimate quest to be reunited with his unknown parents; his first symphony will be performed in Central Park, attended by thousands of people. The ending is the film's biggest letdown; modern-day fairytale, I can understand, but there's absolutely zero payoff (although you can use your own imagination to fill in the blanks). Just one more frame would have sufficed.
The film falters the most when it comes to suspension of musical disbelief; there are so many errors in the scenes showing musical notation and instrument playing by actors. The three leads are all dubbed; Keri had a cello double, Rhys Meyers had a guitar double (although that's him singing), and Highmore had Kaki King as his guitar double (the incredibly incongruous shots of her much larger hands on the guitar were jarring). All of the musical scenes are pieced together in a way that felt like an MTV montage. It felt like the whole crew knew nothing about music; even if he were a prodigy, there's NO WAY that Evan could be writing in perfect musical notation within five minutes of looking at a book (writing in his own homegrown notation, yes, but perfectly scoring everything on the first try?). Ditto with picking up the guitar and pipe organ and playing perfectly after one minute. Also, for a first-year untested Juilliard student to be selected to compose a major symphony in the park? And the most jaw-dropping: throughout the movie, NO ONE stops to find out Evan's real name or identity (last time I checked, you're required to have a name and address when enrolling in a college, especially in one as prestigious as Juilliard). For a film that revolves around music, the lack of attention to detail ruined it for me, athough the love story between Lyla and Louis was handled tenderly.
The film seemed too hampered by the PG rating; if it had been allowed to stretch its wings a little, it would have been more effective in its telling. For example, Louis's rough-and-tumble Irish family is prone to dust-ups, but no swearing . Evan is threatened by the other boys, but nothing beyond name-calling (most likely, some arm-twisting or beating up was no doubt involved). Lyla's evil jerk of a controlling father does the unthinkable, but that moment is simply brushed off in a nanosecond; more time to gauge the effect of this life-changing decision on Lyla would have added greater emotional depth. Freddie Highmore's generally spaced-out, glassy-eyed look carries him through most of the film feeling as though he's an Aspie; there's precious little emotion emitted other than when he's wrapped up in musical ecstasy. He's purely detached (and the numerous extreme close-ups of his dilated eyes was just creepy during the concert scene).
Overall, "August Rush" could have benefitted from a rewrite, a few reshot scenes, and tighter editing; the great performances are all there, they just need a little polishing. As a modern-day fairytale, it works on some levels but not others; it doesn't have quite enough teeth for the seriousness of some of the issues involved. The music is beautiful, but the combination of these smaller flaws added a few sour notes. Worth seeing if you enjoy fairytales or musical dramas.
Description of August Rush
There?s music in the wind and sky. Can you hear it? And there?s hope. Can you feel it? The boy called August Rush can. The music mysteriously draws him, penniless and alone, to New York City in a quest to find ? somehow, someway ? the parents separated from him years earlier. And along the way he may also find the musical genius hidden within him. Experience the magic of this rhapsodic epic of the heart starring Freddie Highmore (as August), Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Terrence Howard and Robin Williams. "I believe in music the way some people believe in fairy tales," August says. Open your heart and listen. You?ll believe, too.Bestsellers in DVD
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