Not enough cello.
Even when Lila is playing the cello, the guitar music from her lover's band across town overwhelms the sound of the cello, and Lila seems distracted by his music and not fully involved in her own cello playing.
My daughter loved the movie and thinks I am much too critical. You have to go see this movie with the idea it is a fairy tale, not a real story. It does have an nice, fully-orchestrated sappy, feel-good ending designed to reduce one to tears. Love and music! What more could you want?
Above is an interview with Keri Russell about playing the cello in the film.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
My review of August Rush
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5 comments:
So it needed more cello.
But was there enough cowbell?
I'm so out of the loop with movies these days, I hadn't even heard of this movie. It was interesting to hear Keri Russell talk about acting/playing music, though. I've occasionally wondered about that when seeing movies where an actor is shown playing an instrument. Sometimes they are obviously not really playing. But other times I wonder how much they are.
There is never enough cowbell. The final musical number featured windchimes and fingers circling water-filled wine glasses, so I'm sure there was a cowbell in there somewhere.
Some actors claim to learn instruments for movies, but I think there is almost always someone else playing in the soundtrack. Meryl Streep is said to have learned violin for Music of the Heart and Jessica Alban learned violin for The Eye. Jessica said she had every note right but sounded like a cat in heat.
Emily at Stark Raving Cello Blog teaches cello,has coached some of these actors, and writes about it in her blog in reference to another cello movie, The Soloist, in which Jamie Foxx plays a homeless schizophrenic who plays both violin and cello. He is studying cello for that with a cellist from the LA Philharmonic, according to stories I have read. It is supposed to be based on a true story. Don't miss this one!
Thanks for the review, and the interview clip. I'll probably catch it on cable next year (or rent it) so I can enjoy a great big bowl of air-popped Redenbacher while I watch. (That stuff they sell in the lobby is horrendous.)The popcorn keeps me from getting bored.
Hi Donna, I love movie popcorn. :-)
At home, I usually knit when I watch movies, which tends to be very rarely. I have some free video coupons, so might amble on down to the video store sometime soon to see what they have.
I agree the orchestra seemed to just play back up for the rock band. I guess the director decided that classical music won't get a typical music audience excited.
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