NY Times “August” Review: Condescending
“August: Osage County,” based on the acclaimed play by Tracy Letts, opens in select cinemas tomorrow. I found the movie adaptation rather frustrating: the stage version, aided by two intermissions to recover from the story’s frequent bravura climaxes, had much better pace and, by definition, more pulsing theatricality. The movie, in spite of a fine cast and a dark-of-night speech by Meryl Streep, as the matriarch, that should instantly go on the actress’s Greatest Moments reel, doesn’t greatly satisfy. Still, I found plenty to like in the film, and I certainly don’t think it deserved A.O. Scott‘s highly condescending review in the New York Times. For a much more amusing, affectionate take-down, read the commentary of Libby Gelman-Waxner (aka Paul Rudnick).
