Except for the obviously contrived plot, August: Osage County delivers a powerful punch.
"I thought we were having a funeral dinner not a cockfight"
August: Osage County, based on a play by Tracy Letts, which is about a dysfunctional family in turmoil times - is fueled with surplus theatrics and melodrama. Yet fortunately, it never goes overboard. Starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts in the lead roles, the film is full of fireworks, presenting the actors with the opportunity to showcase their immense talent.
With an ensemble cast with likes of Chris Cooper, Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Margo Martindale and others, Osage County is a basically an actor's film - instead of direction, screen-writing or any other filmmaking aspect, the film is completely on actors' shoulders. Fortunately, all the cast members are in top of their game. Martindale, Julianne Nicholson and Cumberbatch are worth mentioning here - it is extremely difficult being noticed by the audience, particularly when both Streep and Roberts are on fire, let alone being impactful.
And about the leads, the more you praise them is less. Like a tennis match near its match point, Streep and Roberts' performances are full of power and energy which will blow your mind away. Hammy you may call it, but the script demands for it. Both of them chew the scenery literally and their performance is what drives the entire film.
There is a dinner sequence in August: Osage County which displays the family hitting the rock bottom. It starts off with grilling, then it shifts to humiliation and finally hysteria. The entire sequence feels somewhat contrived - the entire film for that matter. As if, all the plot's dark twists and unrealistic scenarios are there for actors to flex their acting muscles and wow the audience. On a very basic level, the plotline for Osage County isn't bad by any means - but its way too much dysfunctional to be real. The script, however does provides us with characters having flesh and bones, rather than cardboard cutouts, which is commendable.
Filmed remarkably well by Adriano Goldman, you can feel the heat of mid-western summer inside and out. The outside shots in Osage County are calm and serene, which are in complete contrast to the chaos inside. The scenes are mostly awash with yellow and sepia tones, complementing the theme of the film. Music by Gustavo Santaolalla, is low key and doesn't attracts much attention.
Despite the film's obviously contrived plot, the film works, primarily because of the immense acting talents of Streep and Roberts. Also, in part because of its characters. They feel somewhat plausible even in the implausible scenarios. But one thing can be said for sure - you would never want to attend a funeral dinner akin to the one in August: Osage County.
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