The Journey of August King

The relationshipbetween Annalees and August could have generated a great deal more tension thanit does, perhaps if August had been made not quite so good, so that he had tostruggle more to do the right thing. Duigan is an interesting director. ... Full Review

Overall, the film looks handsome enough. It's not just the lumbering pace that makes this film a test of patience: An overly reverential tone predominates. Patric was convincing in his period outing in Walter Hill's ``Geronimo,'' ... Full Review

August King (Jason Patric), a simple, reliable man, is making his way back home from market when he startles a frightened girl trying to hide herself in a cold mountain stream. "The Journey of August King" is a steady but steep ascent from the slave-tended bottom lands of North Carolina's river valleys to the moral high ground of her Blue Ridge Mountains. ... Full Review

Patric underplays August in a way that limits the emotional payoffs but which seems absolutely in keeping with the character's lifestyle, education and predicament. And now, with John Duigan's smart and finely detailed adaptation of John Ehle's 1971 novel "The Journey of August King," and a pair of terrific performances from Jason Patric and Thandie Newton, the short list expands to include North Carolina settler August King and slave girl Annalees. ... Full Review