Following the music

August Rush directed by Kirsten Sheridan requires a suspension of belief. It is essentially a fairy tale about a boy who is left in an orphanage and years later leaves to search for his parents. How he does he do it? Being a musical genius, he follows the music he hears everywhere (in this case, he hears most sounds as musical ones) and in turn he creates music in the hope that it will lead his parents back to him. Turns out his parents are musicians who met and fell in love on the same night he was conceived but were unfortunately separated due to circumstances.
This movie is sweet and affecting in its own way, thanks to the very gifted trio of Freddie Highmore,who plays August, Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, who play his parents. They are all actors to watch out for especially child actor Highmore, who has previously appeared in Finding Neverland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Ms. Washington on the other hand has only gotten better since her earlier days in Felicity. And what can I say about Jonathan Rhys-Meyers who is charismatic even without doing much! Its interesting to know that each of them had to learn to play their particular instruments in order to authentically film their musical scenes.
Music is the unifying thread of this story and it makes clever use of cinematography and a musical soundtrack to depict the music that August hears as he makes his way towards his parents. If occasionally it falls back on clichés to carry the story, it is forgivable given its heartfelt avowal of the redemptive powers of love and music.