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 August: Osage County 

What grade would you give this film?
A 13%  13%  [ 1 ]
B 63%  63%  [ 5 ]
C 13%  13%  [ 1 ]
D 13%  13%  [ 1 ]
F 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
Total votes : 8

 August: Osage County 
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Post August: Osage County
August: Osage County

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August: Osage County is an upcoming 2013 American comedy-drama film based on Tracy Letts' play of the same name. The film is directed by John Wells, written by Letts himself, and produced by George Clooney, Jean Doumanian, Grant Heslov, Steve Traxler, and Bob and Harvey Weinstein. The ensemble cast is led by Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.


Tue Dec 17, 2013 12:50 pm
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Post Re: August: Osage County
I'll start off with saying two things about this movie right off the bat. First, it is absolutely fucking ridiculous that this was campaigned as a comedy. It is complete and utter category fraud in a year full of category frauds, and it upsets me that it took the place in some of the races of better comedies of the year that actually deserved the attention. Second, Meryl Streep does not deserve an Oscar nomination. I love her and I think she's obviously a tremendous talent, a sweet person and ferocious onscreen. And this is a good performance overall. But it is yet another hammy 'look-at-me' Acting with a capital A portrayal that she seems to be doing more and more often. I miss the hilarious subtlety of her work in other recent roles - none of this Iron Lady influenced bullshit where she throws on a wig and an accent and immediately gets put at the top of Oscar lists. It's ridiculous, and the last time I really felt it worked was in Doubt (which was a much better adaptation of a play than this one).

That being said, this movie does feature one Oscar-worthy performance and that comes from Julia Roberts. This is her movie completely and she delivers a fiery, brilliant performance that is one of her best and liveliest in years. I was completely captivated by her work here and I'm glad she seems to be getting the recognition she deserves. The rest of the supporting cast is pretty solid though none of them really get a chance to leave as much of an impression. Best are probably Margo Martindale, Chris Cooper and Julianne Nicholson. Abigail Breslin and Dermot Mulroney get absolutely nothing to do and unfortunately I found Ewan McGregor extremely bland here.

This movie is a mixed bag when it comes to everything else. There were certain scenes I loved. The centerpiece dinner scene is an amazing sequence that builds to a great payoff, Chris Cooper has a fantastic big moment and I also loved almost every scene between Roberts and Streep who play very well off each other. The scene between the three sisters in the middle is also great and I thought it touched on some interesting ideas about family. It's also never boring due to some really unexpected twists for those not familiar with the source material. But I didn't think it was well-adapted. A lot of the dialogue feels very unnatural due to the clear faithfulness to the source material and boy does this film feel stagey. It's almost like watching a filmed production of the play. It makes the biting material and the strong performances feel lifeless.

It's decent, don't get me wrong, but it has a lot of problems that are easy to highlight, and I can't help but feel there's a great movie waiting to get out from this one that's merely just 'good.' It's absolutely worth seeing for Roberts though. B-


Tue Dec 17, 2013 3:40 pm
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Post Re: August: Osage County
I know this probably won't be the most popular more, but I loved it. All of the performances were fantastic but Julia Roberts is easily the stand out. She should be walking away with Oscar #2 (I agree it is definitely a lead performance, but whatever they have to do to get her nominated). It's very darkly funny and incredibly moving. I loved it.

9/10

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Fri Jan 10, 2014 1:01 pm
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Post Re: August: Osage County
histrionic

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Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:49 pm
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Post Re: August: Osage County
..


Last edited by thompsoncory on Sat Jan 11, 2014 4:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Sat Jan 11, 2014 2:00 am
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Post Re: August: Osage County
How big is Benedict's part?


Sat Jan 11, 2014 5:38 am
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Post Re: August: Osage County
Riggs wrote:
How big is Benedict's part?

Moderately sized. He has four or five notable moments, including singing a song, and is present for the central set piece, the dinner-table explosion. He also has a wonderful scene with Chris Cooper early on.

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Sat Jan 11, 2014 5:49 am
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Post Re: August: Osage County
Riggs wrote:
How big is Benedict's part?


You would have more success if you search in google for naked pictures of Cumberbatch instead of asking such questions here.

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Post Re: August: Osage County
Around six years after its stage premiere, August: Osage County, which won not only the Tony Award for Best Play, but also a Pulitzer Prize, receives a much anticipated cinematic adaptation complete with an A-list dream cast led by Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep. A stage friendly story of a dysfunctional family, including an overbearing, drug abusing mother and her three adult daughters, reuniting in the aftermath of the patriarch's abrupt suicide, the film version is overheated and never entirely navigates around the sense it is more a self-contained spectacle of acting and writing than an honest, realistic portrayal of estrangement and pain in the West South Central United States, yet it is still, on a fundamental level, entertaining and satisfying: a for-the-jugular, no-mercy melodrama done right. This is due in large part to the cast and the enormous pleasure of experiencing so many talented people playing in the same frame, feuding with one another only to later try to reconcile and heal (before, of course, feuding again). As a character overflowing with macabre resentment in the glorious and jaundiced vein of Blanche and Jane Hudson, Streep is electrifying. It is not a performance to silence detractors who claim she is only capable of conquering scenes, of stealing films, rather than becoming a true part of a whole, but as far as theatrical, plate-smashing turns go, it is hard to turn away from and draws genuine pity and rage from the viewer. As for the rest of the sterling ensemble, I believe the two highlights are Chris Cooper, projecting a regal calm amidst the tempest as a levelheaded brother-in-law and uncle, and Julianne Nicholson as Ivy, the second daughter who stunted her own evolution and pursuit of joy by staying near her parents while her other sisters escaped far away. Nicholson's rendering of an elegant and understated woman slowly coming to life and convincing herself she, too, can transcend Osage County and define herself elsewhere is, in my mind, the finest of the film's catalog of admirable performances and one of the best pieces of acting of last year in general.

B+

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Sat Jan 11, 2014 6:43 am
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Post Re: August: Osage County
Magnus wrote:
Forgot to mention that Ewan is in major DILF mode in this. Still got it.

fixed.


Sun Jan 12, 2014 5:21 am
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Post Re: August: Osage County
Great performances and for the most part it's engaging but the movie ends on a rather sour note, and I actually wanted to know what happened. I mean, I guess a cheesy epilogue wasn't in the cards but idk. I hope Julia gets an Oscar nom over Oprah, pleaaaase

eat the fcking fish


Sun Jan 12, 2014 5:23 am
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Post Re: August: Osage County
The film is often very entertaining but calling it "uneven" (or "a mess") would be charitable. It seems like the cause of this is director John Wells, who makes off-putting editing choices that kind of drain the film of some of its power. Still, it has a terrific ensemble who all do what they can and earn the film a recommendation from me. Meryl Streep is either excellent or totally hammy in the role. Or both. I'm still having a hard time deciding; I do feel confident in saying it's not one of her better performances of late, though. I thought Margo Martindale, Chris Cooper and Julianne Nicholson were the standouts of the smaller roles. But the film's best performance is easily given by Julia Roberts, who deserves a lot of acclaim for this. She's bitter, wise and funny, and it's nice to see the maturity Roberts has developed as an actress really show through this naturalistic performance. B


Sun Jan 12, 2014 7:09 pm
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Post Re: August: Osage County
Glad you at least loved Roberts in it :)

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Sun Jan 12, 2014 7:58 pm
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Post Re: August: Osage County
ya, I think Julia deserves to win out of all the potential nominees for supporting actress.


Sun Jan 12, 2014 9:58 pm
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Post Re: August: Osage County
Should be June Squibb.

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Sun Jan 12, 2014 10:55 pm
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Post Re: August: Osage County
AUGUST OSAGE COUNTY

Did I enjoy watching this film? Yes I did, but I don't think it was a great film. It's not one that will stick with me long term. It was just so over the top constantly one upping itself with the reveals and salty language. It was highly entertaining though as a actors work. I thought the cast was wonderful. It was great seeing Margot Martindale in yet another character actor role. I just love that woman. I've seen her in so many things and it seems it is always good stuff. The story was interesting and I see how this is based off a play because the dramatics are roller coaster in the film.

Grade - B

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Mon Jan 13, 2014 12:07 am
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Post Re: August: Osage County
May contain spoilers.

For being a person that has seen the play, and I review this film on a critical analysis first. First off, the play is greatly condensed from the play version, in which is the Johnna's role got greatly reduced that she is hardly a character at all in the movie. They cut the sisterly relationship between her and Jean (The Abigail Breslin character) that the play had, and it played a vital role in both of their characters, and it gave Jean more dimension than the 2D character she is in the movie. The necklace never gets explained in the movie, in which in the play, she tells Jean that it is made from her umbilical cord because it's tribal tradition. The father's role also got reduced a bit as well. On the other hand, the extended ending did not bother me as much, because it gave the Julia Roberts character a little more sympathy so that she does not come off as the true antagonist. That being said, as for the rest of the film, it has masterful performances from Roberts and Streep. It has merit, but the butchering from the play bothered me a bit. I enjoyed the movie, but it could have been better.

Grade B.

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Post Re: August: Osage County
.


Last edited by Bradley Witherberry on Tue Jan 21, 2014 7:07 am, edited 1 time in total.



Sat Jan 18, 2014 11:46 pm
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Post Re: August: Osage County
She goes full bitch. Cumberbatch goes full retard. ;)

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Post Re: August: Osage County
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Last edited by Bradley Witherberry on Tue Jan 21, 2014 7:08 am, edited 1 time in total.



Sun Jan 19, 2014 12:02 am
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Post Re: August: Osage County
David wrote:
She goes full bitch. Cumberbatch goes full retard. ;)


LOL

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Sun Jan 19, 2014 11:28 am
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Post Re: August: Osage County
It's good. This is actually one of my favorite Streep performances, as I have never been as impressed with her as others are. I found it to be on a similar level with Blanchett in Blue Jasmine. Julia also fits her part really well. Cumberbatch and Cooper were also excellent.

The biggest problem is it gets nothing from its director. The scenes just do not connect with each other organically, they feel independently created. Nor does the setting or the small characters really come to life. This is stuff that for a film directed even in a 'non-auteur' way would be keys to taking this film to another level. In a way even a film like The Family Stone is far better directed than this.

Also the category fraud involved in this film is insane. First off, I didn't even see it near the threshold of a comedy, this is a depressing drama. Secondly Roberts is sooooo lead, I consider this even more egregious than Bruhl in Rush. Disregarding screentime where she probably has the most anyways, under the "who feels like the lead in spirit" definition, Barb is undeniably the lead or co-lead.

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Sat Feb 01, 2014 4:47 am
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Post Re: August: Osage County
A HUUUGE surprise to me. I expected average decent Oscar fare, but this jumped right into my Top 10 of last year. The screenplay and the acting are superb. It reminded me of Killer Joe a lot (obviously).

I know Streep has a long career with many amazing performances, but this one is really one of her best.In fact, she is my favorite of all the nominees in her category this year. Roberts is good too, but Julianne Nicholson deserves more credit than she has been getting for the film.

You know you have got an amazing cast ensemble when Benedict Cumerbatch is one of your weaker performers (albeit still very good).

Also,Shack, I absolutely disagree about the category. There are maybe 23 films tops in 2013 that I laughed mroe at than with this one. It is a pitch-black comedy, in the same way that Kller Joe was one. I mean, c'mon - Eat the fish, bitch!

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