What film could possibly be truly great that tries to Hollywood-ify Charles Dickens?
This story may sound familiar: A young, naïve boy grows up in a terrible orphanage where he clings to the unrealistic hope that his parents will rescue him from his destitute life. When he finally escapes to the big city, he takes up with a band of vagabond boys who live with an older man, to whom they must hand over their earnings each day. Because of the young boy's optimism and luck, he is lifted out of the city's grimy underbelly and placed with those who love him.
This is hopefully reminiscent of Dickens' Oliver Twist. With a few more frills, it is also the story of the new movie August Rush. The film falters, however, in that it takes Dickens' realistically dark view of orphan life and shoots it with a deadly amount of sugar.
August Rush (Freddie Highmore) grew up in a home for boys in New York where he was constantly abused because of claims that he could "hear the music." He hears it everywhere: in the fields that surround the orphanage, in the Manhattan subway, in the wind chimes that adorn every scene he is in. (When is the last time you saw wind chimes lining the streets of Lower Manhattan?) By following the music, he says, he will find his parents. The music leads him to New York City, where an aging Fagin-like street musician, Wizard (Robin Williams), tries to abuse August's innate musical talents.
At the same time, August's parents do not even know he exists. Eleven years before, Lyla Novacek (Keri Russell), a beautiful young cellist, and Louis Connelly (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a soul-searching Irish rock musician, met at a Manhattan party and spent one magical night overlooking Washington Square Park. The next morning Lyla was dragged away by her tyrannical father, left only with Louis' baby. After that fateful night, they gave up their instruments and tried to squelch their love of music. Lyla, who was led to believe she lost her baby in a car accident, eventually discovers their son is alive and begins following her intuition and "the music" to find him (with more than a little help from an adoption counselor, played by Terrence Howard).
The music scenes in the film are often spectacular, especially those with Freddie Highmore. Though no songs particularly stand out, watching the young British actor beat and strum his guitar is endlessly entertaining. The most intriguing part of the film is the brief time August spends at Julliard, where he, at the age of 11, writes a concerto. Unfortunately the film quickly moves on to the sappy "following the music to the long-lost parents" story line.
The film is saved by Freddie Highmore, the young actor praised by many actors and directors as the best child actor today. (After working with him in Finding Neverland, Depp requested Highmore play Charlie Bucket to his Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.) Though his American accent is a bit spotty at times, Highmore once again proves himself in August Rush, having learned how to play guitar, organ and how to conduct an orchestra in just four months before filming.
There is a blatant lack of chemistry between Russell and Rhys Meyers, but they are very rarely on screen together. Rhys Meyers (The Tudors, Bend it like Beckham) shines in a touching scene with Highmore, and there has been some talk of a (far-fetched) Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. Though he is much more likely to garner a Golden Globe nod for his role of Henry VIII on The Tudors, the film does have Oscar hope for its sound editing.
The film was a good dessert to Thanksgiving dinner, but is not to be watched without a grain (or a bucket) of salt.
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