July 5th, 2007
Robin Williams has told SCI FI Wire that his character in upcoming fantasy movie August Rush draws heavily on the persona of U2 singer Bono.
‘This isn’t the most spiritual or religious character I’ve played,‘ said Williams at the premiere of License to Wed. ‘I think that would have to be Parry in The Fisher King, where he is searching for the Holy Grail. … The Wizard [in August Rush] is more like Fagin [in Oliver Twist], a bit more Dickensian with a mystical element. In addition to looking like Bono, the Wizard wears his signature sunglasses and cowboy hat.‘
The movie tells the story of a charismatic young Irish guitarist (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and a sheltered young cellist (Keri Russell) who have a chance encounter one magical night above New York’s Washington Square. But the couple are soon torn apart, leaving in their wake an infant, August Rush, orphaned by circumstance. Now performing on the streets of New York and cared for by a mysterious stranger (Robin Williams), August (Freddie Highmore) uses his remarkable musical talent to seek the parents from whom he was separated at birth.
‘Wizard is a bit Dickensian,‘ continued Williams. ‘But there’s the brilliant character that Freddie plays, and Wizard is envious and knows he is the real thing. He seems like he’s in it only for the money. It’s a kind of [Amadeus foe] Salieri meets Dickens, with a bit more whimsy and music.‘
August Rush opens October 19th. Click here to watch the trailer.
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Posted by Elgar in Movies • 
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I prefer Obama to McCain. Now, McCain’s better than average for a Republican. And though his ads are intellectually offensive, he’s just bowing to his campaign masters and would calm down and be more sane once in office and not campaigning. But I have a few concerns with McCain on foreign policy. He’s not a full-fledged Neocon. That’s good. He opposed Reagan on Lebanon. Good. He was critical of Bush’s initial strategy in Iraq. That’s good. But there’s a problem. He thinks the Vietnam war was winnable and that the US shouldn’t have withdrawn. He’s also eager to spread democracy with force. This just isn’t a good set of beliefs for inheriting Iraq.