AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.......most of my favorite films are character driven, focusing on personalities dealing with the myriad emotions of life including love, hate, celebration, mourning, courage, fear, delight, outrage, inspiration and depression. AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY certainly has all of that and then some. This is an acting tour de force put on by a star studded array of talent led by the one and only living legend, Meryl Streep. It took hours for me to catch my breath after watching these highly dysfunctional family members clash in every way imaginable during the 2 hour 10 minute length of the film. The film is a dark, dark comedy-drama centered on an especially hot August in rural Pawhuska, Oklahoma. The screenplay is written by Tracy Letts based on his Pulitzer prize winning play of the same name. It is directed by John Wells and produced by none other than George Clooney and Harvey Weinstein (now thats a pair!). The ensemble cast is led by Streep as the drug addled matriarch whose mean streak sprays bitter bile upon the rest of the family, most pointedly her eldest daughter performed by Julia Roberts. The entire family is steeped in anger, confusion, fear, lust, bitterness, disappointment, hate and heartbreak. And you wonder where the comedy is?Its there! The script is rife with sharp dialogue peppered with plenty of wit and sarcasm. This is an impressive screenplay because of the harshly effective dialogue that keeps the story moving at a rapid pace. But its the pure acting that dominates this film. It annoys me to see some of the professional critics slam the film for its so-called overheated over-the-top performances. They miss the point. The personalities in this story are designed to be over-the-top because these characters are over-the-top who, you may argue, lead the kinds of lives and have a life history that is simply over-the-top. I found the entire story to be a riveting experience. Sure, the intensity of these performances can exhaust the audience but that is exactly what I enjoyed. The characters of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY suck you into the vortex of their lives and then grinds you up in the blades of their emotions. You may need a stiff drink after watching this film. It would be remiss of me if I didnt offer hearty applause to the rest of the cast. Sam Shepard, Margo Martindale, Chris Cooper, Julianne Nicholson, Ewan McGregor, Abigail Breslin, Juliette Lewis, Dermot Mulroney, Benedict Cumberbatch and Misty Upham all join Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts to deliver stellar performances that will echo in your mind long after the movies credits roll. I know that Ms. Streep has earned a best actress nomination at this weekends Academy Awards while Ms. Roberts is honored with a best supporting actress nomination. In almost any other year they would both be winners for their performances here. But not this year. As good as they are, the competition is especially intense in this years awards. Although they will both likely come up short on Oscar night, that shouldnt diminish their outstanding work in AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Mar 2014 14:31:53 +0000
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