The Hottest August

— “The Hottest August” is more a portrait of the times than a mere look at August in New York City. Brett Story presents a colorful and diverse cast of everyday characters, living their lives and expressing their hopes and fears. What emerges is a bustling city with gentrification, inequality, a vanishing middle-class, global warming, and plenty of daily challenges. Counterbalancing these negative aspects is a soul that’s still strong and filled with wry humor, neighborly love, and an uncertain hope that Americans adapt to difficulties, making adjustments for a better future. The filmmaker doesn’t really point the viewer in any direction, but just presents the images and comments, creating the portrait for the viewer to consider. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2019.)

---

[2019. 92 min. Directed by Brett Story.]
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/hottest-august-review-1189369