August Rush (2007)

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Directed by Kirsten Sheridan.

Starring Terrence Howard, Keri Russell, Robin Williams, Liv Tyler, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Freddie Highmore.

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Orphaned by circumstance and forced to support himself as a street musician in New York City, a young musical prodigy uses his talents to seek out his parents in this musical drama from Disco Pigs director Kirsten Sheridan. In the aftermath of a passionate night together above New York's Washington Square, a charismatic Irish guitarist (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) and a reserved cellist (Keri Russell) are forced apart by fate. Despite the fact that they were not able to spend their lives together, however, their fleeting union created something amazing that neither could have ever anticipated. His mother unable to properly care for him, young August (Freddie Highmore) dedicates his life to connecting people through music -- and the people he longs to connect with most are his long-lost parents. Out on the streets, a benevolent stranger (Robin Williams) nurtures the fledgling young musician's talent. With little information as to the whereabouts or identity of his biological parents, young August determines to create music that will speak directly to them in no uncertain terms and finally reveal the truth about his mysterious past. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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Reviews and discussions

Once August Rushes Young Guns t ...
by dibot in dibot Blog

disliked it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"August Rush = totally lame. Saccharine sweet, poorly acted, cheesy dialogue. I kept groaning almost anytime someone opened their mouth. The kid, Freddie Highmore ("The Spiderwick Chronicles"), is trying to find his parents who don't even know he exists. They just had one really great night together and just "feel" that someone is out there. Almost every single movie cliche exists in this film. Avoid. Avoid. Young Guns II is not a real improvement on the first film. Everyone who made it alive out of the first movie is back and they brought some friends. Viggo Mortensen ("Eastern Promises") and Gil Grissom (William Peterson) take a bow. This time the story is told in flashback with Emilio Estevez ("Bobby") as a really unconvincing old Billy the Kid trying to get a pardon for his past crimes. His young Billy is equally fake, only now, instead of the steely glare, he's got the maniacal laughter. Lame and disappointing. But Keifer still ... " [More]

Volunteer work at the Starz Den ...
by tadiv in Starz Denver Film Festival

liked it.

"The 2007 Starz Denver Film Festival has come and gone. This year’s festival was the most fun I’ve had at a festival. It was not the four films I saw, but instead the volunteer work I did in support of the festival. For the record, the films I saw were Juno, Grace is Gone, Clint Eastwood: ALife in Film, and August Rush. Each year the Denver Film Society sends an e-mail to its membership calling for volunteers to work at the festival. Last year I worked “program distribution”. That’s a one evening affair where one delivers the “film guide” to local businesses. This year I repeated my support of program distribution and added being a festival driver and working theater operations. I was told again and again how much fun driving was and how drivers return year after year. Well, it was pretty fun. A local dealership donates cars to the festival. One arrives for the shift and is issues a cell phone, a car, petty cash for gas, and ... " [More]

Music to the Eyes
by CinemaLeviathan in CinemaLeviathan Blog

loved it.

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"This modern day yarn weaves its tale through the world of music and the people that not only play it, but listen as well. Freddie Highmore plays the lost son, and musical prodigy, of two musicians who were forced apart by their families, and delivers an excellent performance portraying the orphaned child in search for his long-lost parents. Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers are a match made in heaven, and the audience is absolutely thrilled to experience their brief night of coming together in New York city due to the genuine love that expands from their first meeting. Furthermore, Robin Williams reveals a new side of his acting abilities as his character evolves from a cool, sleek, street-musician to a cut-throat, abusive, street-agent. All in all, the acting is great.The story winds through the dangerous street of New York City, which to August, is a whole new world compared to the small orphanage in the countryside. This new world presents new friends, foes, and challenges ... " [More]

Trailer better than the film
by QFLW in QFLW Blog

is neutral about it.

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"Schmaltzy and impossible. Good performance by Robin Williams, but the three leads (Highmore, Russell and Rhys-Myers) do little more than radiate their looks in wide-eyed, wistful or angst-driven poses. The dialog is often inarticulate and pointless. No child could make those sounds on a guitar so immediately and easily. I did like that the film managed to convey the joy and connecting properties in music, but it was obviously trying to push emotional buttons rather than tell a believable story. " [More]

Eighth Month Blitz
by immaBOHEMIAN in immaBOHEMIAN Blog

liked it.

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"I really liked parts of this movie. As a whole I was satisfied but not overly content with what was given to me. The story line was a bit shaky and the movie trailer definitely lured me in and was better than the movie. But the film had some surprises that caught me off guard and I really enjoyed Robin Williams role. I think August Rush was made to help people stop and listen more to the people around them. Messages that we miss because we're so busy trying to survive that we forget to stop and enjoy our surroundings. Freddie Highmore is a firestorm of a performer. He continues to burn vibrantly after out acting all the adults around him. He's going to be one of those actors similar to Ron Howard. Powerhouse performances as a child will build a nice foundation for him as an adult. I recommend August Rush to anyone who's lost love and then found it again. Whether it was a family member or a lover, this film will move you. I got chills a number of times while watching it. ... " [More]

Can You Hear the Music?
by lawgrrl07 in JUMP CUT

loved it.

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"This movie could have easily dissolved into the kind of sweetly sticky too familiar goo...boy is told he's an orphan, mom and dad go their separate ways, several lies and 11 years later and now they all try to find each other... Even though it relies on some cliche story lines in the telling, it magically comes together with a cast that never stops giving until the last note is played. Definitely worth seeing! " [More]

Tags: nyc , irish , predictable , slow , oscars
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