Austenland & August: Osage County Movie Reviews

Ah, lazy bum Saturdays, how I live for you!

Since I only have two weekends off a month, my free ones are usually booked up. Surprisingly though I find myself with an empty Saturday. I decided to make the most of it and practice being a lazy bum.
Rarely do I get to watch movies…I would much rather read. On a whim I checked out 3 dvds from the library before closing on Friday: Austenland, August: Osage County, and 12 Years a Slave.
A library patron recommended Austenland and August: Osage County so I decided to watch those first.

Austenland


When I first say this trailer I knew that I had to see this movie. I haven’t read the book by Shannon Hale, but the movie trailer looks positively delightful. Once I started watching I initially found myself cringing at the idea that the men at this Austen resort were paid actors. I was embarrassed for the character of Jane, but that quickly passed. The scenes were charming and the characters were funny and impossible not to love. The film had a perfect ending and there was even a hilarious music video featured in the credits.



August: Osage County


There is no doubt that this movie is slammed packed with stars. Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, etc. I have always been a big fan of Chris Cooper and I thought he gave an amazingly heartbreaking performance as Meryl Streep’s brother-in-law, Charles. This sad tale of a family full of secrets and hate is far from uplifting. The film depicts the crumbling relationship between a mother and her three daughters in the midst of a family tragedy. As always, Roberts and Streep gave strong performances and this film is worth your time.

Have you seen any good movies lately?