‘August: Osage County’ Review: A Roller Coaster Ride of Emotions If you are looking for an upbeat feel-good movie you are in the wrong place. “August: Osage County” is set in a small town in Oklahoma where the isolated landscape serves as fertile ground for the journey of self-awareness and deep soul searching that the members of the Weston family undergo –albeit not intentionally- while attending a special gathering. The source material is a play and one can’t help but wonder if the confined space of a theater somehow translated into the confinement each character experiences when brought together, and at the same time, cornered into a very uncomfortable situation. The less distractions allow for close encounters and multilayered dialogues where the motives, doubts and deep rooted internal conflicts surface with intense emotion; scenes where more than one controversial truth comes out with a tragic impact and a permanent damage to the already severed family bonds. The reason for the gathering may seem at the beginning as a convenient narrative shortcut, especially since these relatives are far apart and not very much in touch, our attention quickly focuses on Meryl Streep’s character as the matriarch, Violet. There’s a reason why she’s truly one of the very best actresses on the planet. Her charm is magnetic as the very sick and acutely desolated human being who longs for company yet at the same time despises anyone who resents her tight grip and shows her sympathy. So, who is the “main protagonist“? Although Julia Robert’s Barbara is a strong contender, this is still very much a Meryl Streep film. The ability she displays to portray such a complex character -extremely cruel yet highly vulnerable- with immense credibility requires tremendous talent and profound grasp of the craft. Her wicked state and awareness in stark contrast with her addiction to pills, and her blunt-stabbing words, poises everybody for conflict. As a spectator you can feel the pressure building up, knowing that it’s only a matter of time before the bomb goes off one way or another. The merit of the film resides not only her electrifying performance, but also in the plot and subplots that make for a very interesting exploration of interpersonal relationships and human nature. Some scenes in “August: Osage County” are quite comical but the narrative doesn’t stop there; it scraps the surface to reveal the most dark of family secrets and in the process baring each member to the bone. Performances are amazing across the board; that is true also for those that play a smaller role. What you see is a mosaic of torn-apart souls and broken human beings who navigate the sea of appearances desperately trying to reach higher ground. While in the process finally learning to embrace themselves for what they’ve become, whether that means pulling away and choosing a lonelier path. The movie tests the boundaries of family conflict as a mean of self-discovery and survival. It is plagued by conflict, cursing and even physical fights. Nonetheless, it’s very much worth your time if you are ready for a roller coaster ride of human emotions. – “August: Osage County” is in select theaters of LA and NY now. Everywhere on January 10.
