August: Osage County (2014)

 Based on the Tony award and Pulitzer Prize winning play by Tracy Letts, August: Osage County is the story of how an already dysfunctional family copes with the loss of its patriarch. With a mother who is drug addict, one sister in the midst of a divorce, another who has been left to care for her parents for years and a third running away in some love-struck teenage fantasy, this family of strong willed women epically collides in the days following their father's funeral with no one escaping the wrath of the antagonistic matriarch.

There is only really one way to start this review and that is by saying that Meryl Streep is an acting goddess (no matter how obvious that statement may be). Her acting, and the acting of every performer within this star-studded cast, just seems completely effortless and natural. To give you an idea of just how many talents there are in this movie, you have Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson, Juliette Lewis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Abigail Breslin and many many more. Exceptional performances are given all round making for a truly gripping story and mesmerising characters with impeccable individuality. Each actor has brought something different to their role while maintaining a family dynamic that is dysfunctional to its core. For me, the stand out performance (besides Meryl Streep) has to be Julia Roberts. Her portrayal of the 'favourite' daughter with a crumbling marriage, a tearaway teenager and a need to keep her family in check is faultless. None of these characters are hugely likeable and they all have their flaws, but an endearing edge is brought to the story in the performances by Julianne Nicholson and Benedict Cumberbatch playing Ivy and Little Charles. Their performances give a calming break to the madness that is this intense family and give a good balance to the overall film. If there is one reason to go and see this film, it is purely an acting master class from some of the greatest actors around today.

 However, if you want more than some incredible acting, the story is tense, gripping and constantly throwing one difficulty after another at this group of people. It includes everything from drug use, suicide, divorce, extramarital affairs, cancer, incest, jealousy, hatred and everything else you can imagine. There really is no let-up in this entire movie and I can only imagine what it must've been like to see or perform this play on stage every night. This bombardment if one problem after another makes for a engaging and interesting story worthy of its Pulitzer and Tony award winning reputation. Tracy Letts seems to have written one of the most emotionally charged and brilliantly crafted scripts of this century, perfectly blending tense drama alongside subtle humour (because this movie is very funny as well) to create a great work of stage and screen.

 So if I haven't managed to convince you already, GO AND SEE THIS MOVIE. It is well worth it and deserving of all the awards buzz that surrounds it.