Rama’s SCREEN

Many movies have taught us a lesson or two about business (read my article). This particular one is not my favorite. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it still has some sort of business elements to it but it’s mostly a drama centers around two brothers. AUGUST, just like the month itself is… a very slow movie, I usually don’t mind the pace but if the slowness doesn’t bear any purpose then that’s when it starts to annoy me. This is not meant to be an art film but it’s trying too hard to pose like one, resulting in a movie that will never live up to cult hits like Boiler Room.

Tom and Joshua Sterling (Josh Hartnett and Adam Scott) whose Internet start-up, Landshark, is as hot as a New York City summer – only this is the summer of 2001, their company is in lock up, its stock price is plunging and, in a few weeks, the world will change forever. For now Tom continues the hedonistic life of an Internet star, the kind of guy we might have seen profiled on 60 Minutes II: he dates multiple women, drives a bitchin’ ‘69 Camaro convertible and hangs out at a new club called Bungalow 8. But it somehow never seems to matter that Tom is not quite able to explain what his company actually does

Josh Hartnett is an underrated actor. He’s actually one of Hollywood’s young stars who can actually act and he’s good for this role as the brother who is the face of the company. Kinda like Apple and Steve Jobbs. Adam Scott who plays his intelligent brother gives a decent performance, although I think people like Casey Affleck would’ve done a much more exceptional job.

The whole dysfunctional family part of the movie is a bit cliche. Nothing original. The arguments at the dinner table comes off a bit too rehearsed, like an ordinary stage play.
The jokes don’t make you even chuckle at all. The lazy employees are supposed to be somewhat of this movie’s comic relief but none of what they say and do are actually funny. The pun, the sarcasm, the humor… a miss not a hit.
The dialogue is cheesy. Josh Hartnett’s character’s impromptu speech is anything but brilliant and at the end of the movie, you don’t connect with the characters.
The slow pace of some scenes are meant to show us the characters reflecting or contemplating on what they need to do next but what we get are dull moments accompanied by dull music that will lullaby you to sleep.

In a way, this movie does well in illustrating how life was before the tragic Sept 11, 2001. People were so concerned with money and market and how to win the competition so much so that the human element or the people factor is not considered anymore. Doing whatever it takes to get ahead. Greed before anything or anybody else. And 9/11 changed that perception, it became a wake up call although the movie doesn’t really get to the month of September.

* Place the cursor on the image below to check my grade for this film