A Sharp, Melodic Story of Mental Illness

Rating: 8/10 (20 January 2019)

12 June 2009. This movie bursts with music and creative photographic snapshots while provided suggestive reflections from 2001: A SPACE ODDYSEY (1968) and even KOYANNISQATSI (1983). This adult version of AUGUST RUSH (2007), brings to the screen a strong relational movie about mental illness and musical brilliance. More importantly, this movie avoids any necessity for the use of the major twist that A BEAUTIFUL MIND (2001) and instead allow the focus to be strictly on the cinematic presentation of mental illness, to even greater affect. There are a few minor weaknesses where Robert Downey Jr.'s own on-screen persona almost overtakes his character even though its played down quite a bit, there is a slow paced section a little ways into the movie, a sort of interesting biographical gap about how Nathaniel Ayers is able to get into Julliard in the first place, and a sort of jarring, unexplained, almost out of character scene with Robert Downey's character's ex-wife as she's drinking. Overall, this drama plays out very well, the characters are presently powerfully and even the element of mental illness is portrayed with sensitivity and humanity. There is almost no melodrama, the ultimate pacing and storyline becomes stronger, more intense without having to resort to overly dramatic acting, and the soft landing at the end transforms this movie more about people and their potential for humanity more than anything. This is a powerful movie with a strong and vibrant message that doesn't preach. 8/10.