Elizabeth G: Two Thumbs Up

For a number of reasons, I haven't been out to the movies in months and months. And, as you may recall, I LOVE going to the movies. So I've been renting or watching on PPV a few of the films I missed in the movie theatres. Gotta tell you, folks, I'm sure glad I didn't pay full price to see most of them.

Until several weeks ago, when I rented AUGUST RUSH. The movie's tag line is: "The music is everywhere. All you have to do is listen." It's also described as "a drama with fairy tale elements, where an orphaned musical prodigy uses his gift as a clue to finding his birth parents."

AUGUST RUSH stars Freddie Highmore, an incredibly talented young English actor, Keri Russell, mostly famous for being Felicity on the TV show of the same name, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, one of my personal favorites who does his own singing in the film, Academy-award winner Terence Howard, and Robin Williams in a non-comedic role that is one of his recent best.

What makes this film special?

First and foremost, the music. I love the cello. I love the guitar. The music performed in the movie, whether classical or rock, is wonderful!

Second, Freddie Highmore. Few child actors don't appear to be acting. He's amazing. He's also the reason the film works so beautifully. (Freddie is no novice. He's been in a lot of movies. I saw him in "Neverland," and "A Good Year," and he was excellent in both.)

Last, but not least, there is a romance, of course. And magic. And mystery. And an element of serendipity.

I guess you can tell: I LOVE this movie. I now own it on DVD thanks to my husband who surprised me with a copy after I kept talking about it.

So Inquiring Minds want to know two things on this beautiful spring day: Have any of you seen AUGUST RUSH? Do you have a wonderful film to recommend that's available on pay-per-view or rental?

Happy Spring!
EG