Review of August: Osage County (2013) by Tvjerry — 13 Jan 2014

It's sacrilege to imply that Meryl Streep could ever overact, but she certainly indulges herself with this sick (in both senses of the word) and mean mother. Director John Wells' lingering camera just adds to the problem.

This is a family drama in every sense of the word. After a major crisis, the siblings and other relatives come home to cram a lot of cataclysmic revelations into two hours. Everybody gets their moment so shine (or suffer) and the performances are sincere.

The whole thing just feels forced and flat, lacking the powerful emotional effect that this much turmoil should create. It's not bad or boring, just not brilliant.