August Rush

Very good movie. Make sure you have plenty of tissues. It is a tear jerk movie. I could watch it over and over.

The previous reviews relating the plot and very strong cast are excellent and I agree with them. I had to let my "inner child" take over at the contrived ending which was totally unbelievable but, who cares? Watching it made you feel terrific - just turn your intellect off for a few minutes. I would give this movie 5 stars for the entire movie, save the conclusion which was unbelievable but still moving. I rented it on demand and will buy to add to my collection of other "feel good" movies. This is one to keep and great for the entire family. I think children would really enjoy it as well. I felt it conveyed the way we musicians feel and "hear" music - or unfortunately for many people - who don't. Studies have shown that our brains are "hard wired" for music appreciation and this film certainly shows that beautifully. I highly recommend this film for anyone who has ever loved a piece of music and wants an escape from our daily drudge even if you must suspend belief. As an opera lover, I do that all the time! This film makes it very easy to do! To see it and hear it - is to love it.

A young boy (Freddie Highmore) growing up in an orphanage dreams of being found by his parents and survives by his innate gift for and love of music. When he runs away to New York to find them, he takes up with a group of kid street musicians led by the sometimes nurturing, sometimes dangerous, and always exploitative Wizard (Robin Williams). Under Wizard's guidance, the boy takes on the name August Rush, and while in New York he hones his skills at a genius's pace in the hopes that his long lost parents will follow the music to find him. Meanwhile, only just discovering that her son did not die at birth, August's mother (Keri Russell) is already on the search with the help of a caring social worker (Terence Howard), while August's father (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is seeking to find her, the lost love he has never forgotten.

When I first saw trailers for "August Rush", I had no idea that it was based on "Oliver Twist", something that quickly became obvious when watching it. However, I also underestimated how touching it would be, and that's even though I expected it to be very good from the get-go. Regardless of the fact that its story is predictable (if you know Oliver Twist at all) and slightly sappy (not as sappy as I was afraid it might be, though), this is one heck of a movie! It'll bring you to tears a lot. In fact, it'll send you up and down throughout as you root for August and his family to finally come together. But what makes this one so different than just being a modern-day Oliver Twist is the fact that August Rush is a musical prodigy, and this is well woven into the story and a huge part of it. It's significant enough to make the film as much about the love and magic of music as it is about modernizing a classic. So, don't be put off by the fact that the tale is an old one. The brilliant cast, music, and engaging story will soon have you forgetting that you're on a journey you've been through before.

The DVD is double-sided for widescreen and fullscreen and comes with a selection of deleted scenes as the only bonus features. Definitely a must-see, and for many, a must-own.

The first half hour of this movie is ridiculously slow. I must admit that the first time I saw this movie, I was very bored at first. And, the love story cliché is nothing original. "Oh noes, my rockstar boyfriend is gone!!" Seen it all before.

But, honestly, I got something much different out of this movie than most people seem to have gotten. While other people seem to be focused on the love story, or that August is a musical prodigy, or that he is bound and determined to find his parents, or what have you, all of that seemed secondary to me. To me, the real story is how music affects us all, no matter who we are or what kind of music we make. August's dad is a guitarist and a rock singer who quits his music only to return later, because his life is incomplete without it. His mother is a classically trained cellist who becomes a music teacher as well as a performer. Wizard turns to music as a means to an end (teaching the children to play so they can make money for him) and as a source of comfort (playing the harmonica when he loses his best student). All of the professors at Julliard are moved by the music that August creates. Is music not the real star of this movie? Freddie Highmore's character is just a facilitator. Music the true star here. Thus, I give this movie 4 stars.

I think August Rush was one of the best movies that I have seen in a long time. It has a valuable lesson on using your intuition to guide you. Excellent movie.