During an unbearably hot August, the Weston family come together in their family home in Osage County, Oklahoma for the funeral of patriarch Beverly (Sam Wilson). Over the course of a few days, the powerful Weston women, especially pill addicted mother Violet (Meryl Streep) and daughter Barbara (Julia Roberts), butt heads, leading to dark family secrets been revealed. That's the simple premise of August: Osage County, based on the Pulitzer winning play by Tracey Letts. The dysfunctional family unit is nothing new to be captured on film, but here an impressive ensemble cast helps what essentially adds up to watching an entire family implode to be a thoroughly entertaining and supremely acted affair.
The script, written by Letts, wears its stage origins on its sleeve, the action rarely venturing outside the rundown family home, whose dilapidated state reflects the lives of its inhabitants. Taking time with the set up, it's when all the players are introduced and come together, in probably one of the most awkward family dinners in the history of cinema, that August: Osage County really comes into its own. Revelation after revelation add layers to the story, building a rich tapestry of mistakes and downright despicable behavior that will shock and intrigue in equal measure. Director John Wells, marking this as his second feature after The Company Men, keeps things real and unflashy, but always makes sure we feel like observers in this skin crawling family reunion. Some shots are gorgeously framed, adding a degree of beauty amongst the horrific examples of the worst human nature can achieve. If there is any problems with the movie, it's that a lot feels unresolved by the end of it. The film runs an hour less than the stage play, and the shaving of time is evident in many of the roles feeling oddly clipped, with characters, especially Johanna (Misty Upham), the Weston's maid, not really doing much.
The real draw here is the acting, and all the cast bring their A-game. Meryl Streep dominates here, more than justifying her Oscar nomination. Violet is a mean, calculating, and a down right horrible individual, and Streep completely steps into the role, spitting bile with every line. But the fact that she makes you feel sorry for her at times is her real triumph, with the rare moments of clarity amongst her drug addled outbursts shedding light on her painful back story, but never entirely justifying her actions. Julia Roberts, the second of the film's two Oscar nominee's, more than handles herself beside Streep's powerhouse performance. Barbara openly rallies against becoming her mother, but more often than not shows the exact same traits as Violet when dealing with her husband Bill (Ewan McGregor) and daughter Jean (Abigail Breslin). Streep and Roberts are usually at the centre of the movies more powerful scenes, and they play off each other perfectly. The rest of the cast, including Chris Cooper, Juliette Lewis, Julianne Nicholson, and Benedict Cumberbatch, do get threatened to be lost in the background at times, but they thankfully all get a chance to shine. Cumberbatch especially makes a huge impression as sad sack Little Charles, a role that, from the accent to his mannerisms, completely washes away anything you know of him from his other roles, whether it be the coolness of Sherlock or the menace of Khan or Smaug. God forbid, if the actor ever gets lost in genre hell, we can look back on this and know he has much, much more to offer.
August: Osage County takes a powerful script, adds in some truly powerhouse performances, and leaves you with an extraordinary end product. A must watch!
The script, written by Letts, wears its stage origins on its sleeve, the action rarely venturing outside the rundown family home, whose dilapidated state reflects the lives of its inhabitants. Taking time with the set up, it's when all the players are introduced and come together, in probably one of the most awkward family dinners in the history of cinema, that August: Osage County really comes into its own. Revelation after revelation add layers to the story, building a rich tapestry of mistakes and downright despicable behavior that will shock and intrigue in equal measure. Director John Wells, marking this as his second feature after The Company Men, keeps things real and unflashy, but always makes sure we feel like observers in this skin crawling family reunion. Some shots are gorgeously framed, adding a degree of beauty amongst the horrific examples of the worst human nature can achieve. If there is any problems with the movie, it's that a lot feels unresolved by the end of it. The film runs an hour less than the stage play, and the shaving of time is evident in many of the roles feeling oddly clipped, with characters, especially Johanna (Misty Upham), the Weston's maid, not really doing much.
The real draw here is the acting, and all the cast bring their A-game. Meryl Streep dominates here, more than justifying her Oscar nomination. Violet is a mean, calculating, and a down right horrible individual, and Streep completely steps into the role, spitting bile with every line. But the fact that she makes you feel sorry for her at times is her real triumph, with the rare moments of clarity amongst her drug addled outbursts shedding light on her painful back story, but never entirely justifying her actions. Julia Roberts, the second of the film's two Oscar nominee's, more than handles herself beside Streep's powerhouse performance. Barbara openly rallies against becoming her mother, but more often than not shows the exact same traits as Violet when dealing with her husband Bill (Ewan McGregor) and daughter Jean (Abigail Breslin). Streep and Roberts are usually at the centre of the movies more powerful scenes, and they play off each other perfectly. The rest of the cast, including Chris Cooper, Juliette Lewis, Julianne Nicholson, and Benedict Cumberbatch, do get threatened to be lost in the background at times, but they thankfully all get a chance to shine. Cumberbatch especially makes a huge impression as sad sack Little Charles, a role that, from the accent to his mannerisms, completely washes away anything you know of him from his other roles, whether it be the coolness of Sherlock or the menace of Khan or Smaug. God forbid, if the actor ever gets lost in genre hell, we can look back on this and know he has much, much more to offer.
August: Osage County takes a powerful script, adds in some truly powerhouse performances, and leaves you with an extraordinary end product. A must watch!
