August is a 2008 American drama film directed by Austin Chick and presented by 57th & Irving. The screenplay by Howard A. Rodman focuses on two brothers, ambitious dot-com entrepreneurs attempting to keep their company afloat as the stock market begins to collapse in August 2001, one month prior to the 9/11 attacks.
The film premiered as an official selection of the Spectrum section at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. The film did not do well with critics and received negative reviews..
Plot Summary Tom and Joshua Sterling are brothers whose Internet startup company, Landshark, had been proving to be lucrative – all until the summer of 2001. The film is then brought to the month of August during the summer of 01. At this time, everything has seemed to go to the opposite side of the spectrum--- their company is in lock up... its usually profitable stock price is plummeting from what was once high numbers...Unbeknownst to the brothers, after the seemingly chaotic August has passed... the once extreme problems may seem much less important. For in just a few weeks; 9/11 will occur... and the world they thought they knew will change forever.
In the meantime, the film familiarizes the viewer(s) with its main character(s)...brothers Tom and Joshua Sterling...The focal point being the self indulgent, showmen of the two...Tom. Tom Sterling seems to be proficient in all aspects of his life and enjoys driving his '67 Camaro (convertible); and utilizing his title of an "Internet Star" to date multiple women, while spending much of his time at a new club called Bungalow 8.
Josh Hartnett as Tom Sterling Naomie Harris as Sarah Adam Scott as Joshua Sterling Robin Tunney as Melanie Hanson Andre Royo as Dylan Gottschalk Emmanuelle Chriqui as Morella Sterling Laila Robins as Ottmar Peevo Caroline Lagerfelt as Nancy Sterling Alan Cox as Burton John Lavelle as Brad David Bowie as Cyrus Ogilvie Rip Torn as David Sterling Mozhan Marnò as Ashley
Festival screenings Festival Section Screening Dates Sundance Film Festival Spectrum2008 Online Film Guide , Sundance International Film Festival January 22, 2008January 23, 2008January 24, 2008January 26, 2008 Seattle International Film Festival Contemporary World CinemaThe Festival – Films & Events , Seattle International Film Festival May 29, 2008June 2, 2008 Brooklyn International Film Festival Narrative Feature Films2008 Edition – Category Feature / Film Details, Brooklyn Film Festival Film Library May 31, 2008June 6, 2008 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Horizons, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival July 7, 2008 Oldenburg International Film Festival International Section September 11, 2008 Flanders International Film Festival Ghent World Cinema October 10, 2008 Bahamas International Film Festival Spirit Of Freedom: Dramatic December 8, 2008
Critical reception Rotten Tomatoes gives the film 36% based on 25 reviews, with a consensus that "Josh Hartnett puts in a well-intentioned performance but overall, August only superficially explores its dotcom-burst setting." Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 39 out of 100 based on 10 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.
References
External links
August at the Movie Review Query Engine (ContentFilm)