You will never forget this movie. Win lose, or draw. If Meryl Streep doesn't deserve an Academy Award for this performance, no one did, ever. Ever.

I love Meryl, and this is the only movie I have seen her in where by the end of the movie her character has no redeeming quality. Shame on the director for misusing such an incredible group of actors. I am having a hard time understanding why all the nods. Are we asking for more movies this troublesome and despicable? Not I! I also felt it was rather insulting to the American Family. This is NOT like anyone I know. Don't waste your brain space watching this hopeless mess of a movie!

Despite myopic and crass reviews that this film faced, I believe that August: Osage Country deserves a chance. Though often criticized for it's tendency to "over-act," I found the dramatic and emotional performances engaging, creating a spectacle out of a thematically typical family melodrama, while keeping true to its roots in the theater. I believe that the restricted setting of the movie worked in its favor - the narrative is driven by energetic and willful female leads, whose lives begin to unravel in the domestic realm - they are challenged by traditional standards of womanhood. These women are constricted by expectations, and this is expressed through the claustrophobic atmosphere of the film. It is no coincidence that this drama is told in a domestic setting, a site familiar to women, associated with homemaking and care-giving, which are typically considered women's tasks. This is not a easily digestible watch, and does not try to be - the mis en scene does nothing to glamorize these women, and make their lives appealing to the audience. It is emotionally exhaustive, "exaggerated" and entertaining - the film is punctuated with revelations and confessions that shock the Weston family, and spectators alike.Though Benedict Cumberbatch felt wildly miscast to me, the movie was carried by its performances. Though the female leads may have displaced the male spectator by providing little for them to relate to, I believe this movie's intention is to do this unapologetically. I felt empathetic towards the Weston women, and though much of the dialogue is abusive, Violet Weston makes it clear that the previous generation of Weston women have not had it easy - though this does not justify the verbal abuse, I found the causing factors of their depressed and cyclical behavior to be legible. Though directed and written by two men, the realistic depiction of a troubled matriarchal family may have alienated the male spectator, and the male critic, leading to a disproportionately negative review. "Osage County" is worth a chance. Easy to follow, paired with the occasional dark humour and exceptional performances by Streep and Roberts made this movie heart wrenching and provocative. Definitely did not receive the critical reward it deserved.

August Osage County is a terrific film with a very well developed plot and a spectacular cast. It is a rare movie that is not afraid to tell it like it is, showing the complications of family and how tough it can be to keep it together. There really is no feel good factor to it, there are serious themes involved, from the likes of dementia, suicide, divorce, adultery and incest. It manages to tackle them all effectively, showcasing the seriousness of them. I did feel like the film was lacking optimism, there is no light at the end of the tunnel, a few light hearted moments would have been refreshing, showing the closely knitted family without any negativity surrounding them. It also would have given us a more personal insight on their relationship outside of the drama they are facing. The cast is really what brings it all together, there is not a poor performance in the bunch, the likes of Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Ewan McGregor and Margo Martindale are all very believable as a close, dysfunctional family. The dinner scene is groundbreaking film work, an entire sequence, roughly twenty five minutes long, of the family having food together, in which they let out a lot of their inner emotions, it was a risky move by the director but it succeeded. Albeit bleak, August Osage County is an extremely compelling film with spellbinding performances, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good drama. The sudden suicide of a family member prompts an ill tempered family gathering. Best Performance: Julia Roberts