August: Osage County (2013)
Certified: 15
Duration: 120 minutes
Directed by: John Wells
Starring: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson, Sam Shepard, Misty Upham
KRS release
Sam Shepard plays Beverly Weston, a renowned poet who lives in Oklahoma, Osage County. He is reliant on alcohol while his wife Violet (Meryl Streep) has a painkiller addiction as a result of the mouth cancer she has. She is also inclined to say whatever is on her mind.
Beverly highlights the irony of the situation to their new housekeeper Johnna (Misty Upham).
When Beverly goes missing, it’s not considered out of the ordinary. But, when he is found dead after committing suicide, the family is shattered and they come together despite all their differences.
Their daughter Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) is still living in town. Ivy’s sister, Barbara (Julia Roberts), returns from Colorado with her former husband Bill (Ewan McGregor) and Jean (Abigail Breslin), their 14-year-old daughter. Then there is Karen (Juliette Lewis) who returns from Miami along with her fiancé Steve (Dermot Mulroney). Violet’s sister, Mattie Fae (Margo Martindale), comes along with her husband Charles (Chris Cooper) and their grown-up son Little Charles (Benedict Cumberbatch).
Once gathered, all the dormant feelings and tension built over the years come to a climax. Violet’s rudeness and addiction does not help matters at all.
It is very easy to define August: Osage County as simply being another Streep movie. Her performance is certainly gripping but this adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tracy Letts is much more than that. It’s about a reunion of family members who cannot stand each other and who are put under one roof and in difficult circumstances. All the dark issues come rushing out with full pent-up force and will shake the audience to the core.
Director John Wells does quite a strong juggling show as he handles his stellar cast well to the tune of the screenplay which handles a variety of themes, emotions and shades. His camera is intent on focusing on the characterisations, the dialogue and the way the characters step across each others’ path. His strength is very much evidenced in the way he manages to walk the tightrope between drama and comedy with the film being both at the same time.
The family has to face quite a few uncomfortable realities. The way the character of Violet rubs her children’s noses in the way she perceives truth and reality is agonising, making a peaceful family meal a torture sequence for the characters involved.
The dialogue has many layers and textures and grows edgier along the way. It is not difficult to see how suppressed and oppressed these characters are as their skeletons are laid bare. The way the movie looks at how parents influence and at times pollute their own children is scary stuff.
Streep takes on a thunderous approach while the ensemble cast provides the film with dynamism as they radiate frustration and energy. Roberts dominates the screen while Cooper, Martindale and Nicholson are all fiery in their approach. These characters may not be nice but they certainly look and sound real.
This movie provides a strange fascination as one observes a family imploding on itself. It will keep the audience on the alert and will most probably leave its marks on you.