'August Rush' is the name given to young Evan Taylor by Maxwell Wallace (Robin Williams), who teaches homeless musicians to become street performers.
But I'm jumping the gun here; let's start at the beginning. Freddie Highmore stars as Evan Taylor, who becomes the titular character. He lives in an orphanage, but he firmly believes his parents are still out there looking for him. His back story is told through back flashes and memories. His mother, the violinist Lyla Novacek, had a one-night stand with the lead singer of a rock band, Louis. I won't spoil why he ended up in the orphanage, but let's just say it was a series of events.
While it might not be the most believable story, I did find it rather captivating. Freddie Highmore is always a pleasure to watch, and I thought he did brilliantly in 'August Rush'. Being a musical prodigy, Evan (August) is able to hear music in everyday sounds. The film teaches us about the beautiful sounds all around us...if only we care to listen. Off course, the new generation only listen to the sounds coming from their mobile phones...(!)
The film has a very good score, and I loved the musical segments. I also enjoyed the (sort of) cliffhanger ending, instead of the film spoon feeding the audience as to 'what happens next'. Yes, it is might be a bit cheesy, but this is a feel-good movie after all and I liked it.
It's interesting to see the big divide between critic and audience ratings of 'August Rush'. According to the review site RottenTomatoes, 'August Rush' has an 82% rating from audiences, while critics only gave it 37%. Judging by the box office takings, I fully agree with the audience ratings. 'August Rush' earned $65.3 million on a $25 million budget. What's up with critics anyway...?
Would I watch it again? Yes.
But I'm jumping the gun here; let's start at the beginning. Freddie Highmore stars as Evan Taylor, who becomes the titular character. He lives in an orphanage, but he firmly believes his parents are still out there looking for him. His back story is told through back flashes and memories. His mother, the violinist Lyla Novacek, had a one-night stand with the lead singer of a rock band, Louis. I won't spoil why he ended up in the orphanage, but let's just say it was a series of events.
While it might not be the most believable story, I did find it rather captivating. Freddie Highmore is always a pleasure to watch, and I thought he did brilliantly in 'August Rush'. Being a musical prodigy, Evan (August) is able to hear music in everyday sounds. The film teaches us about the beautiful sounds all around us...if only we care to listen. Off course, the new generation only listen to the sounds coming from their mobile phones...(!)
The film has a very good score, and I loved the musical segments. I also enjoyed the (sort of) cliffhanger ending, instead of the film spoon feeding the audience as to 'what happens next'. Yes, it is might be a bit cheesy, but this is a feel-good movie after all and I liked it.
It's interesting to see the big divide between critic and audience ratings of 'August Rush'. According to the review site RottenTomatoes, 'August Rush' has an 82% rating from audiences, while critics only gave it 37%. Judging by the box office takings, I fully agree with the audience ratings. 'August Rush' earned $65.3 million on a $25 million budget. What's up with critics anyway...?
Would I watch it again? Yes.