Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Search cinema listings

Browse cinemas A-Z

Search 20,000 reviews

 

August Rush (2007)

Director: Kirsten Sheridan

3

Time Out rating

Average user rating
20 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

This inspirational drama gets three stars for oddity value alone. A celestial trumpet for the need to follow your star so old-fashioned it’s postmodern, the latest feature from Jim Sheridan’s daughter stars doe-eyed Freddie Highmore (‘Finding Neverland’) as a 12-year-old, orphaned musical prodigy searching for his parents in a New York populated by characters straight out of ‘Oliver Twist’. Certain that his parents are alive, little Evan Taylor escapes his upstate orphanage, determined to compose a piece in the Big Apple knowing that – to adapt ‘Field of Dreams’ – if they (his parents, played by Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers) hear it, they will come. Wisely, Sheridan nurtures a commendable, sobering Lasse Hallström-lite realism in the acting – only letting Robin Williams hang himself as the modern Fagin figure. Most impressive, however, is how Sheridan has modelled such a highly sophisticated cinematic correlative to the script’s twin themes of synchronicity and music. It provides a genuine aesthetic climax unaffected by the sentimentality of the film’s fundamentally fake, born-again philosophy.

Author: Wally Hammond 2007-11-20 12:07:26

Time Out London Issue 1944: November 20-26 2007


  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend

User reviews of this film

  • JACKIE said...
    Posted on Nov 30 2007 13:08 Sorry forgot the star rating, definately 5!
    Report as inappropriate
  • Jackie and Dave said...
    Posted on Nov 30 2007 13:06 We loved this film, it made you happy which is a rareity these days. I agree with the above review, dont listen to negatives just go and enjoy! (with a tissue)
    Report as inappropriate
  • lesley said...
    Posted on Nov 29 2007 00:05 see for your self dont listen to negatives. Its what dreams are made of.
    Report as inappropriate
  • Tina said...
    Posted on Nov 28 2007 15:49 I don't know how this film has managed to get good reviews on different websites, i didn't enjoy it at all. The plot was ridiculous and the whole story lacked credibility. The acting was suberb, but thats about the only good thing i can say. Don't get me started on Meyers fake accent. One to miss.
    Report as inappropriate
  • Anonomys said...
    Posted on Nov 25 2007 12:24 Really good almost had me in tears
    Report as inappropriate
20 comments: page 2 of 2
1 2

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields





Top Stories

Time Out's 101 Films of the Decade

Time Out's 101 Films of the Decade

Ten years, thousands of movies and millions of dollars in international box office, and it all boils down to this

Martin Provost discusses 'Séraphine'

Martin Provost discusses 'Séraphine'

Trevor Johnston talks to the director of 'Séraphine' about bringing a little known French painter back to life

Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones

Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones

Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation

On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'

On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'

Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie

Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'

Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'

Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him

Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?

Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?

How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains

Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'

Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'

We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon

A gateway to all things 'New Moon'

A gateway to all things 'New Moon'

In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.

The films that deserve a TV spin-off

The films that deserve a TV spin-off

With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam

In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations