August Rush

Warner Bros.
JAMIA SIMONE Nash and Freddie Highmore in “August Rush.”

'August Rush' a stretched fairy tale
'August Rush' is a beautifully filmed, sensitive picture that's set in fairy-tale mode.
Unfortunately, with its Dickensesque gritty qualities, the two factions just don't mix.
The story involves Lyla Novacek, played by Keri Russell. She's a brilliant cellist who is finding success in New York City.
After a concert and party, she meets Louis Connelly, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Louis is Irish and plays bass in an Irish rock band. His voice is a melody itself and the two fall in love forever, even if they don't see each other for years.
They agree to meet later, but fate and the necessary plotline makes that impossible.
But their night together on a rooftop produces a child.
Fate is a big part of this film and as a result, Lyla is hit by a car and dad (William Sadler) tells her the baby is lost.
She learns 11 years later, as dad lies dying, the child isn't really dead. He forged her signature on papers giving the child up for adoption. (it was that easy.) But in this 19th-century London tale transposed to modern New York, the baby ends up in an orphanage where he is picked on because he hears music wherever he goes.
Freddie Highmore plays Evan Taylor, who is enamored with sounds and translates them in his head to music. It is in these scenes the film shines. Something magical happens.
But of course, the orphanage does nothing to encourage the boy's interests, so he runs away.
It is there Evan meets a young street musician and is enthralled by his guitar. He wants to reach out and touch it. The musician takes Evan back to where he and plenty of other homeless kids live at a condemned theater.
If you can believe this, all homeless kids are musical prodigies. The Fagan of the group, played by red-haired Robin Williams, sees something special in Evan, whom he renams August Rush after the words on a truck that drives by.
Evan, er, August, runs away and ends up at a church where the pastor gets him into Julliard. August writes a classical piece and the instructors decide to play it at the end of a concert in Central Park. And who is also playing at the event? Would you believe his mother who is now searching the streets for him?
And guess who also happens to be around? Do I have to tell you?
But can it end that neatly? Not quite, 'Red' Williams must return to snatch August away. But somehow, it all works out and young August magically arrives to conduct his piece in a tuxedo! Wow! Maybe his fairy godmother made it out of mice!
The love of music comes through in this movie, even if the notes he plays don't always correspond to what you hear. But young Freddie seems to be sleeping through part of this film and the storyline will have your rolling your eyes. At least mine did.

AUGUST RUSH
* Written by Nick Castley and James V. Hart
* Directed by Kirsten Sheridan
* Rated PG for thematic elements, mild violence
* Runtime: 114 minutes
* 2 stars out of 4