I'll admit it, as an ex-musician who traded in his drumsticks for a more lucrative living, I'm a sucker for any film that revolves around music and the struggles of musicians. And August Rush is, at its heart, a film about music's place in our lives and the magic that it can bring us.
Evan Taylor (Freddie Highmore) is an eleven year old boy living in an orphanage, convinced that his parents will one day come for him. Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers play his parents (each struggling musicians), who have no idea that their child exists - they haven't even seen each other since the night of his conception.
Evan escapes from the orphanage and makes his way to New York City "following the music," eventually realizing that he himself has a supreme gift for music. Evan is discovered by Maxwell 'Wizard' Wallace (Robin Williams), an unscrupulous "foster parent" to several young homeless musicians. Wizard sees greatness in Evan, dubbing him with the stage name "August Rush" and plotting the boy's exploitation for his own personal gains.
As the boy makes his way to a Harlem church where he teaches himself to read and write music, then on to Julliard School of Music where he begins work on his first symphony (all in a matter of weeks), his mother and father are pulled inexorably back to New York City where fate may be working toward an unlikely (but perhaps inevitable) reunion.
The film is as much fantasy as it is tear-jerker drama, but if you can get past the unlikelihood of its plot, you may just enjoy the ride. It's the music that matters, after all, and there are a few pieces here that are sure to tug on the heartstrings.
The Picture
The Blu-ray Disc's 1080p 16:9 transfer features a letterboxed 2.4:1 aspect ratio to match its original theatrical presentation. Detail is sharp and clean with some minor compression artifacts visible in night scenes, and some color banding visible in bright shots with solid colors. Colors appear accurate but are not as saturated as they could be. Overall, it's a high quality video transfer but not quite up to reference standards.
The Sound
The Dolby TrueHD audio track is where this disc shines. Again, it's all about the music, and I'm happy to see that the audio is given the treatment it deserves. From a guitar duet, rife with percussive attack and delicate harmonics to the final symphonic crescendo, each nuance of the music stands out, clean and detailed, with no audible artifacts, stridency or distortion. Dialog is also clear and articulate, and surround effects (though subtle) are effectively mixed to create a sense of space and three-dimensionality through the various indoor and outdoor venues.
The Extras
Fans of the film or its cast and crew will be disappointed by the extras: no commentary, no featurettes -- not even a theatrical trailer. The only extras on this disc are a handful of deleted scenes, presented in standard definition with no commentary. Please sir, can I have some more?
Final Thoughts
As a film, August Rush is flawed, but enjoyable. Some young but precocious actors (like Dakota Fanning) just irritate me with their self-aware cutesy pseudo-naiveté . But Freddie Highmore captures the brilliant but aloof innocence at the heart of the lead character and this is no mean feat. Sure, the story is a bit unbelievable and at times schmaltzy, but the music is powerful and that's enough for me.
Those who purchase the Blu-ray Disc expecting additional insight into the film-making process may feel short-changed, but fans of the film looking for a high quality audio and video transfer will not be disappointed.
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