Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

August: Osage County Blu-ray Movie Review

The heat is on.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 28, 2014

The "family reunion" film, long a staple of the Comedy genre but also one that frequently delves into dark humor and deep drama, finds one of its most thematically challenging and dramatically complex films in August: Osage County, Director John Wells' (The Company Men) picture sourced from Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name. Though the film plays around with the occasional burst of subdued humor, it's primarily a sobering look at a dysfunctional family and the off-kilter individuals who make it so. In-fighting, anger, disappointment, and confusion reign as the family struggles to manufacture even the façade of friendly decorum when tragedy reunites them in the sweltering Oklahoma summer heat. An all-star cast and two Oscar-nominated performances lead the charge in one of the most well-acted films of the year, so well acted, in fact, that the performance authenticities might feel a little too real and revealing, leaving the film too dark and the audience too shaken by a nearly endless barrage of negativity.

Smoking has had no negative impacts on my life.

It takes a tragedy to bring the Weston family together again, particularly back to the old house smack-dab in the middle of flyover country where the heat swelters and the temperature inside can only go higher when they're all reunited under one hot roof. Matriarch Violet (Meryl Streep) is in mourning, suffering from lung cancer, addicted to pills, and not particularly thrilled with her husband Beverly's (Sam Shepard) choice for a home care professional, a young, pretty woman of Native American descent named Johanna (Misty Upham). Returning home is Violet's more gregarious sister Mattie Fae Aiken (Margo Martindale) and her husband Charlie (Chris Cooper), and if he arrives on time, their absentminded son Little Charles (Benedict Cumberbatch). Also arriving are Violet's daughters Barbara (Julia Roberts), Karen (Juliette Lewis), and Ivy (Julianne Nicholson), Barbara's husband Bill (Ewan McGregor) and daughter Jean (Abigail Breslin), and Karen's boyfriend Steve (Dermot Mulroney).

Make no mistake, this is an oftentimes bleak, borderline disturbing movie that never relinquishes in its punishing portrayal of family dysfunction, harmful revelations, and general anger and chaos. The picture is defined by heated back-and-forths as old wounds reopen, old arguments take shape, old questions are again asked, old fears surface, and old ways book a return engagement. The picture traverses the fine line between dark comedy and dark drama and occasionally slips too far into the latter as the proverbial claws come out in nearly every scene. The movie is defined by a barrage of negative emotions and populated by characters with an uncanny ability to turn anything remotely good into something dreadfully bad, whether by necessity or simply through a lack of tact. August: Osage County is no fun, at least not in the traditional sense. It's cinema as something of a blunt instrument by which the audience is reminded that, yes, families fight and, no, most don't take it to this extreme. Flawed and wounded characters abound, be they aggressively flawed and openly wounded or a product of the broken family system. The negativity is a generational thing with this bunch, a trickle-down effect that seems to have at least been diluted through the years but that remains an inescapable prison when all of that soup is mixed back together in the boiling petri dish of the American heartland.

The cast is superb. No matter how dark things go, how hateful characters behave, how gloomy the outlook for a civil conversation, a mellow meal, or a simple smile may become, the actors remain in top form for every verbal blow. Oscar nominees Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts are excellent, the former sublime, in fact, in her portrayal of a frazzled, off-kilter, tactless, and in many ways hopeless pill addict, cancer patient, and grieving spouse. Streep's presence dominates the film, in large part because her character is so boisterous and black but also because of her commanding presence and effortless slip into character. Roberts, too, is quite good but feels overshadowed by several of her co-stars, particularly the bubbly Margo Martindale and both Chris Cooper and Benedict Cumberbatch, the latter of whom are two more flawed characters -- though more inwardly so -- but who nevertheless manage to bring an air of decency, decorum, and positivity to the proceedings. Their characters serve as reprieves from the hostility, even if they themselves become caught up in it, at times, both by their own doing and particularly when one becomes an unwitting pawn in a larger fight. The level of authenticity the cast brings to the film and the camaraderie and chemistry with which they interact, albeit a heavily negative chemistry and camaraderie, is the film's best asset and yet, in a way, the driving force behind the strain of a watch considering just how authentically they all blend together as combative family.

August: Osage County Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

August: Osage County looks incredible. Anchor Bay's gorgeous 1080p transfer presents viewers with a beautiful and consistent film-quality transfer. Light grain hovers over the image in an even, appealing field and accentuates every frame, whether the darker and warmer interiors or the hot and sticky exteriors. Indeed, fine detail impresses across the board. The transfer is at its visually appealing best when it's showcasing with pinpoint clarity and attention to detail the finest visual nuances on grasses, bales of hay, chipped paint, worn wood, and general accents in and around the Weston house. Every frame is gorgeously composed and wondrously filmic in presentation. Of course, the primary objects such as skin and clothing textures enjoy top-level accuracy, too. Colors aren't often particularly bold. There's a warmth to much of the picture, a lower-light overlay with golden and bronze shades seeping through, particularly in and around the house where darker woods and earthy grasses and hay dominate. The transfer nevertheless shows some beautiful splashes of color -- a red sports car, green vegetation -- with accuracy and when necessary. Black levels are deep and detailed, and flesh tones reflective of the film's slightly warm color scheme. There are no visible technical flaws of note. In short, a breathtaking cinema-quality effort from Anchor Bay.

August: Osage County Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

August: Osage County sports a high-end DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Musical delivery is steady and inviting, widely spaced but not aggressively forced. Clarity across the entire range ranks highly, particularly the balanced supportive low end. The opening title music practically dances through the speakers. The track enjoys a few momentary pushes of high energy support elements, such as bass-heavy music thumping out of a sports car in a few different scenes. Generally, however, this is a dialogue-intensive film that delivers the spoken word -- whether normal conversation or aggressive shouts -- with commendable accuracy and evenness. Light supportive ambient effects are implemented in several key outdoor scenes. This is something of a straightforward track but one that handles its duties commendably and effortlessly.

August: Osage County Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

August: Osage County contains several extras. DVD and UV digital copies are included in the case.

• Audio Commentary: Director John Wells & Cinematographer Adriano Goldman offer a very well spoken, informative, and oftentimes fascinating commentary, sharing plenty of anecdotes from the set and also discussing shooting locations, how the weather altered the shoot, performances, and more. The most appealing aspect of the track is the in-depth technical details of the shoot that cover filming equipment, lighting, shot composition, film vs. digital, and much more. A must-listen both for fans of the film and those interested in how films are made.
• The Making of August: Osage County (HD, 19:45): A quality overview piece that features cast and crew discussing story authenticity, characters, cast camaraderie, Director John Wells' work, and Kings of Leon's work on the film's soundtrack.
• Deleted Scenes (HD): Bill and Barbara Fight (2:27), Violet Nags Ivy (1:38), "I'm Really Happy" (1:00), Little Charles on the Bus (0:23), and Sisters Reunited (Alternate) (5:17). With optional commentary from Director John Wells and Cinematographer Adriano Goldman.
• On Writing with Tracy Letts (HD, 7:39): The playwright/screenwriter discusses the story's roots in his own life experiences, the heavy influence of fiction, character qualities, the midwestern setting, and more.

August: Osage County Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Most audiences experience this kind of thing every Thanksgiving. Does cinema really need to lay it all out in the open for two hours of teeth gnashing and fire breathing? August: Osage County does just that, but it does it exceptionally well. It's smartly acted, very well written, and expertly crafted, but there's not a whole lot of joy inside. The film often feels like it's dragging its audience across a floor covered by broken glass while a harsh, hot light pushes down from the ceiling and someone runs their fingernails down a chalkboard just to add insult to injury. It's uncomfortable cinema, but it's the proverbial train wreck from which one cannot look away. The truth is that the film does what it does with a brilliance and focus quite unlike any of its kind before it. That said, it's just too much if one's not in the proper frame of mind for it. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of August: Osage County does deliver spectacular video, excellent sound, and a fair array of extra content, including an excellent commentary track. The Blu-ray cover art also wins the award for "worst Photoshop job of the month." This is a film worth seeing, but it may require a little psyching up ahead of time.