Movie Review

August Evening (2008)

Reviewed by Lisa Schwarzbaum | Sep 10, 2008

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Lisa Schwarzbaum is a film critic for EW

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EW's GRADE

B+

Details Limited Release: Sep 05, 2008; Rated: PG-13; Length: 128 Minutes; Genre: Drama; With: Pedro Castaneda and Veronica Loren

$MOVIN\' ON UP Newcomer Pedro Castaneda is working without papers in August Evening August Evening, Pedro Castaneda$

MOVIN' ON UP Newcomer Pedro Castaneda is working without papers in August Evening

This uncommonly observant, award-winning first feature by Chris Eska — about an aging, undocumented Mexican worker in Texas (Castaneda, a novice and a discovery) who urges his widowed daughter-in-law (Loren) to remarry — echoes Yasujiro Ozu's classic 1962 film An Autumn Afternoon in title, theme, and gentle spirit. The filmmaker of August Evening creates a succession of quiet, elliptical scenes that accrue into an affecting big picture of family ties and immigrant experience. The story sometimes moves at a crawl, but always the filmmaker follows the pair with unobtrusive attentiveness to conflicting cultural and generational pulls. B+

Originally posted Sep 05, 2008 Published in issue #1010-1011 Sep 12, 2008 Order article reprints

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