If you are a soppy romantic then this film is a must see. I found this film to be so heart warming and emotional that
I was reduced to tears at one point. A young classical
musician, Lyla (Keri Russell) meets a handsome (or so I think) rock musician, Louis (Jonathan Rhys Myers) and they spend a magical night together on a rooftop under the full moon. It's a love at first sight story. They arrange to meet the next day but Lyla's overprotective father doesn't allow it and they have no way of finding each other. Later, Lyla learns that she is pregnant with Louis's child and often waits where they had arranged to meet in hope that she might see Louis again. Tragically Lyla ends up in an accident and she
believes that her baby had died. However, the child, a boy named Evan (Freddie Highmore) survived and was brought up in an orphanage for 11 years without being adopted. Evan however, doesn't want to be adopted because he believes that one day he will find his parents. Evan has a special connection to music and believes that the moon somehow links him to his parents. He feels music in everyday sounds of the streets. One day Evan takes to the streets of New York to search for his parents. He meets Wizard (Robin Williams) who recognises his musical gift and tried to capitalise on it by giving Evan a guitar and sending him out to busk for him. It turns out that Evan is a music savant and he learns to play a guitar in a rather unique way in 24 hours and the music just flows from him. In order for Evan to remain hidden from the authorities who are looking for him, Wizard changes his name to 'August Rush'. Eventually Evan leaves Wizard to continue to look for his parents and spends some time in a church shelter where he learns to play the piano and church organ, once again showing that he is a savant. He ends up in the Liliard School of Music (where his mother trained) where he is recognised as the talented musician that he is and nurtured. He composes a piece of music in the hope that it will bring his parents to him. The question is of course, does he succeed?
This film won't appeal to everyone but if like me you are a romantic at heart and are willing to let the odd thing slide (I am a musician and noticed some things that simply weren't possible) then you will love this film. It's a feel good film for a rainy evening. I was very impressed with the acting talent displayed by Freddie Highmore. For someone of his age I expect him to go a long way. He truly touched me and portrayed the character of Evan/August beautifully, with all of his vulnerabilities.