August…

August Review

03 Aug 2009

Critics rating: 3 stars out of 5

Reviewed by Tom Charity , LOVEFiLM

George W is newly President. Ben Affleck is entering rehab. And the dotcom bubble has well and truly burst.

Leaving a big red hole where billion dollar speculators used to dream. For Tom and Joshua Sterling (Josh Hartnett and Adam Scott) the timing sucks. One month they’re riding high, worth many millions of paper money on the back of Josh’s e-idea and Tom’s business savvy. The next they’re scrambling to keep the company alive.

Directed by Austin Chick (XX/XY) from a screenplay by Howard Rodman (Savage Grace), August is a smart drama which feels more timely than the filmmakers could have hoped for.

It’s also a welcome showcase for Josh Hartnett’s most assured performance in quite some time.

August

Starring Josh Hartnett, Naomie Harris, Adam Scott, Emmanuelle Chriqui

Director Austin Chick

Genres Drama

Run time 88 mins Certificate TBC

Cast details

Josh Hartnett

Born: 21 Jul 1978
San Francisco, California

Top rated films	View all
Black Hawk Down - Blu-ray (2001)
Lucky Number Slevin - Blu-ray (2006)

The way we see him turns on a dime when, by chance, he sees his old British girlfriend Sarrah (Naomie Harris) in a bar. Immediately all his bravado evaporates. He’s no longer dictating the scene. For the first time, he’s addressing someone as an equal.

As we get to know him better we see that his “front” is a compulsion to impress, and also a business strategy. If he can convince everyone he’s the best, then maybe he really can be what they want him to be. If you’ve seen the documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, you will know that this kind of manic deception was endemic in the ballooning Wall Street E-conomy of the time.

The rather sadistic pleasure of the movie is in watching that balloon deflate, and the desperate denial that seems to be Tom’s only coping strategy.

This is a “cool” film, as far as emotional temperature goes. I don’t know if Rodman wrote it first as a play, but it wouldn’t be surprising if that were the case. There isn’t a lot of action, most of it plays out in dialogue scenes, and there are two or three set-piece speeches where Rodman/Tom lays out the core beliefs of the era. Even so, Austin Chick integrates the talk very smoothly with dispassionate, often silent observational scenes that reveal how isolated Tom really is from the other people in his life.

Josh Hartnett, Robin Tunney and Andre Royo in August

August Reviews

Most helpful member's review of August
View all members' reviews (28)
- - 36
  - 1
  Wall St for 2009
  
  Saw this in the US and thought this was great, Josh Hartnett gives an authentic performance as a young Gordon Gekko type dot com entrepreneur managing a company... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 788575
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - a customer
  - London
  - 24 Jul 2009 at 12:36
Most recent members' reviews of August
View all members' reviews (28)
- - 0
  - 0
  Very well acted
  
  Very well acted by Josh Hartnett and the supporting cast, and an interesting theme. Lots of subtle interactions between characters where sometimes not much is ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 872760
- - SoniaB
  - 8 reviews
  - Edinburgh
  - 15 Mar 2010 at 18:25
- - 0
  - 1
  August
  
  ... no wonder it was free to watch online... yawwwwwwwn... it was so slow, the plot was barely there... and was 'buffering' all the time... throughout ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 831876
- - a customer
  - UK
  - 17 Nov 2009 at 12:49
- - 0
  - 0
  Oh dear
  
  The gorgeous Josh Hartnett alone is not a good enough reason to watch this dismal affair. The characters are neither aggressive (as described in the blurb) nor... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 828634
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - Sezzle
  - 49 reviews
  - Worcester
  - 06 Nov 2009 at 18:32
View all members' reviews (28)

- - 36
  - 1
  Wall St for 2009
  
  Saw this in the US and thought this was great, Josh Hartnett gives an authentic performance as a young Gordon Gekko type dot com entrepreneur managing a company... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 788575
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - a customer
  - London
  - 24 Jul 2009 at 12:36
- - 24
  - 0
  dot com drama
  
  slow burning drama with lots of dead end sub plots.
  
  Josh Harknett is totally engaging and acts his part well,if it wasn't for his performance it ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 806475
- - squareeyed
  - 24 reviews
  - Nairn
  - 03 Sep 2009 at 16:58
- - 11
  - 0
  Don't bother
  
  I found this film to be very slow and boring. Nothing much happens in it apart from the main character ranting on about things i just couldn't get my head ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 807705
- - RSCollett
  - 8 reviews
  - Newtownabbey
  - 06 Sep 2009 at 19:40
- - 8
  - 1
  Wall Street for the American Apparel generation
  
  Love this film. It's punchy looks great; wardrobe, actors lighting, Rip Torn! and Josh Hartnett is glorious as Tom Sterling, entrepreneur high on life and ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 804179
- - Gtx
  - 4 reviews
  - London
  - 28 Aug 2009 at 20:26
- - 4
  - 0
  give it a miss
  
  i found it slow, well acted by only the main character, too much jargon, which placed it in the dot com league who would probably understand this or maybe ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 808323
- - a customer
  - Hull
  - 08 Sep 2009 at 15:10
- - 3
  - 0
  August
  
  This was the biggest waist of time ive spent in a long time ,this film was the biggest load of crap from start to finish!!!!!!!!
  
  Report this review
- 810174
- - fayth
  - 1 review
  - Stockport
  - 13 Sep 2009 at 20:10
- - 2
  - 0
  August....like British weather...Dull!
  
  Dull....dull....dull............glad it was a freebie cos I would have been dissapointed if I had paid for that boring drivel....as my Mum would say 'it was... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 812231
- - Tubedude
  - 1 review
  - Carshalton
  - 18 Sep 2009 at 21:28
- - 2
  - 0
  Very slow- leave it alone
  
  I only watched this because I was bored and it was free.
  
  The acting skills were dreadful, the plot, well was there one?
  
  Report this review
- 812450
- - a customer
  - Peterborough
  - 19 Sep 2009 at 16:39
- - 2
  - 0
  Lameshark
  
  Empty characters that you don't care about, unfinished business, sub plots that go nowhere, a plot that limps aimlessly to a tired hand shandy... don't ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 812496
- - a customer
  - London
  - 19 Sep 2009 at 18:30
- - 2
  - 0
  It was free...
  
  ...as an online taster for the new on demand system. This is actually all that this film had going for it... ...it was free. Good idea for a film, but very ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 812536
- - apr195
  - 1 review
  - Southampton
  - 19 Sep 2009 at 21:24

< Prev
1
2
3
Next >

Agree or disagree? Write your own review

Review title: Give it a rating:

Write your review:

Tips for writing helpful reviews

Only review titles you've actually seen!
Talk about what you liked and disliked
Compare this title with other similar titles
Provide plenty of detail - at least 20 words
Space things out - use blank lines between paragraphs.
Be appropriate - no adult content, libellous statements or naughty words
Don't SPAM! No promoting of other websites or services
Don't plaguerise! Your submission must be your own original work
Don't talk about LOVEFiLM by name

Give it a title:

Tips for an eye catching title

Don't just repeat the name of the title you're reviewing
Don't summarise your entire review in one word - a minimum of 2 words please.
Give people a reason to read your full review - create a sense of intrigue or curiosity!

Keep me anonymous Keep me anonymous Contains spoiler? This review contains spoilers (or might spoil it for someone who hasn't seen it yet)

New users register here

Email address:
Password:
Preferred user name:
I agree to LOVEFiLMs Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
I'd like to receive film news and reviews as well as info about all the other good stuff LOVEFiLM offers

Already a member? Sign in here

Email address:
Password:Forgotten password?

By clicking Preview review you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Let's get social

For up-to-the-minute competitions, interviews, news and reviews - follow LOVEFiLM on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

Get a weekly dose of love film

Our weekly newsletter is packed full of news, reviews and opinions, and handily delivered straight to your inbox.

Competitions

Competitions and Offers

News, Reviews & Interviews

Review
The Muppets

After a long absence, The Muppet are back with plenty of singing, dancing, and nostalgia. Read more
Movie Clip
LOVEFiLM Instant Presents - Episode 1

Find out what's in store on our streaming service with the first edition of LOVEFiLM Instant Presents... Read more
Video Interview
Nicolas Cage Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Interview

Nicolas Cage talks about returning as Ghost Rider... Read more
Review
The Woman in the Fifth

Supported by strong performances from Kristin Scott Thomas and Ethan Hawke, The Woman in the Fifth is ultimately let down by its plot. Read more