Writer: Asha Gizelle M.

Writer Ratings:
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Effects: NA
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Watch this if you liked: “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”.

Terming "August: Osage County" as a dramedy is a hyperbole. An unfathomable poet dad who takes to the bottle (Sam Shepard), a cancer-patient mom who lives by the belittlement of her daughters (Meryl Streep), three sisters who are as different as chalk, cheese and perhaps oil (Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis, Julianne Nicholson) and a granddaughter who swears by her veganism but goes easy to get high on pot (Abigail Breslin). It is almost like a modern warp of Addams Family sans the gothic eeriness but with the same level of eccentricity to have all the characters pop out of the plot.

Set in an exceptionally hot countryside in the outskirts of Oklahoma, the characters come together and alive in a house that ends up as more of a wretched reunion than a happy one. The title itself suggests the time of the year and place of where the story unfolds. Written and directed by Tracy Letts who is also the man behind the multiple award-winning play of the same name, "August: Osage County" is actually named after a poem by Howard Starks. The theatrical poster itself is so dramatic; dramatic enough to beat any chick flicks actually. Zeroing in on the cream of the crop (best actors) is like choosing which eye is better than the other. Watching two great thespians sharing the screen space and belting out their bests only to create nothing that fall short of the overall best renders some kind of phantasm.

Every character has a part to play and there weren't any 'extras' and this made the emotional ride something exceptionally worthwhile. Being a master of accents, Streep made the rural side twang a cakewalk. The part where she is in denial of her husband's death was beautifully captured in all sense - the atmosphere was achieved all-out, the cinematography kicked in immediately, and not to mention, Streep's acting streaks that take no prisoners nailed that part. Gripping performances by the actors put the case to rest that "August: Osage County" isn't merely a blockbuster hit to be brushed off in time to come. It has a spot to share in the long list of monumental movies.

There is a fine line between hilariousness and wounding humour especially in the scenes that outrageously go up to 20 minutes or so. Although draining to watch, it gives all something to take back home and ponder upon. It is definitely far from one's regular entertainment staple that will be embraced as a comfort movie. The dialogues put an emotive lock on the plot. The lengthiest scene of a funeral dinner that one could ever get out of a decent film would be from "August: Osage County".

There is more to the equation but when summed up it is predominantly "Sweet Home Alabama" meets "Little Women" sans the literature heroines' getup, polished language and eccentric location. Not too confident if every individual would take the ending well, but the climax is something that makes it seem like another day in a regular person's life and not a scene from a blockbuster hit where all things end neatly, with the cursive words like 'The End' or 'Fin' materializing against the blank screen. If there is any other alternate ending to it, "August: Osage County" can and would never be the same.


Cinema Online, 21 January 2014