Review of August: Osage County (2013) by Cectheronin — 30 Jan 2014

August: Osage County is a film about an extremely dysfunctional family that is not afraid to go to some very uncomfortable places. Every person in the family has some secrets or vices and in lesser hands, it might feel like a soap opera.

Some instances do feel like a soap opera, but a very watchable one. I actually think that this is a movie designed to make the viewer feel uncomfortable, right down to the laughs and the implication by the end that Julia Roberts' character may have become as bad as her mother played by Meryl Street.

The big weak point that I see, as loathe I am to admit it because I like him, is Benedict Cumberbatch; I found his character a little too melodramatic, he disappears for almost the entire third act, and it's hard to tell if his southern accent is convincing or not.

I'm hesitant to recommend this movie because I feel like it's an acquired taste and you won't walk away from it feeling joyful, but at the very least, I enjoyed it, so take that for what it's worth.