Although July included my favorite film of the year so far, August offers a much stronger selection of DVD and Video-On-Demand rentals. With a wide array of choices spanning all different types of genres, let's take a closer look at what August is offering.
Mud - 3 stars out of 4 - (Read my full review here)
I was first introduced to the great young American filmmaker, Jeff Nichols, with his 2011 under-recognized work, Take Shelter. And although Nichols' most recent effort is a small step down from the aforementioned, Mud is still strong enough to have a strange-hold over my #2 spot on the top films of 2013. The film follows two teenage friends who try to restore an old boat only to find that it's being inhabited by a fugitive named Mud (played by Matthew McConaughey). The escaped criminal convinces the boys to help him fix up the boat so that he can run away with his one true love. Mud is a gripping coming-of-age tale that only suffers from a bloated running time. Otherwise, it's an exceptional piece of modern American filmmaking. (AUGUST 6TH)
The Sapphires - 3 stars out of 4 - (Read my full review here)
One of the funnest movie experiences of 2013 comes in the form of the unlikely indie hit, The Sapphires. Chris O'Dowd, who's most memorable for his turns in Bridesmaids and Pirate Radio, absolutely steals the show as the manager of an aboriginal group from Australia who travel to Vietnam to perform for U.S. soldiers in the late 1960s. Soulful, moving and downright hilarious, The Sapphires tells an uplifting true story about a family of outcasts who starve for something more out of life. The music is wonderful and the movie's even better. The Sapphires is one indie comedy definitely worth checking out. (AUGUST 6TH)
The Great Gatsby - 3 stars out of 4 - (Read my full review here)
A very long time in the making, May finally marked the release of Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the title character. While Luhrmann's rendition of the often-told F. Scott Fitzgerald novel is certainly flawed, Leo and company truly bring the extravagant nature of the book to life. The feature centers around a former soldier named Jay Gatsby who comes into a great fortune and moves across the bay from his former and now-married love interest, Daisy (played by Carey Mulligan). Can Gatsby will her away from her struggling marriage and reclaim past desire, or will Daisy flatly surrender to her adulterous husband Tom Buchanan (played by Joel Edgerton)? If you're familiar with the story, then you already know. But either way, Luhrmann's vision is one to be savored all on its own. (AUGUST 27TH)
Honorable Mention: There are quite a few other options that you may want to consider taking a chance with this month. First and foremost, there's the Acadamy Award Best Picture Nominee Amour. The foreign film is an extremely slow-paced, yet eye-opening, look into the inevitable truths around growing old with a loved one. Next, there's the ambitious drama The Place Beyond the Pines. While I thoroughly enjoyed the undeniable over-extended feature, there's certainly a fair share of pros and cons to the film. Finally, there's the new Tom Cruise sci-fi adventure Oblivion that had many audiences buzzing. Despite having not seen the film myself, I've heard a decent amount of positive feedback regarding the feature. It may be worth looking into if you enjoy the genre.
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