Rating: 4 Pulses

Rated R

August Rush is the lovely tale of an orphaned boy (Highmore) with a passion for music and a gift for finding its beat in everyday life, despite never having seen or played a single instrument.

Inexplicably drawn to music, Evan has never met his parents (Rhys-Myers and Russell): Dad’s a rock ’n’ roller and Mom’s a classically trained cellist, but they’ve both strayed from their love of music by the time Evan begins his quest to find them.

Convinced that music will draw his parents to him, Evan heads to New York City where he hooks up with a juvenile street musician who takes him to a group of abandoned children housed in the condemned Fillmore East.

Enter Wizard (Williams), a shady yet inspiring surrogate father to the children, who immediately recognizes Evan’s abilities and wants to bank off them. The discovery of his prodigious talent, however, is only the beginning of Evan’s musical journey.

Highmore delivers charm and genuineness on-screen, creating an undeniable affection for his character.

The movie has its fanciful moments, but uses them as themes rather than turning it into a fairy tale. Fate, destiny, chance encounters?these are its roots and they tell the story heartily.

Each performance is solid and there is some amazing camerawork, quietly allowing the city to play its own role. Mark Mancina’s music is key, developing a world where music truly is magical.

This is a very sweet and endearing film with a thunderous orchestration that blends genres and builds to a swelling finale.