Actor says new film gives new point of view on New York

Irish-born actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers recommends watching his new film, "August Rush," as if one were a 10-year-old boy, saying the eyes of a child give New York City a whole new perspective.

Rhys Meyers, who was in Rome Saturday for the world premiere of "August Rush" at the city's film festival, said the movie offers a different point of view about the city.

"To really get the most out of the film you have to start seeing through the eyes of a boy. You have to throw away your adult glasses," the actor said in an interview with The Associated Press before the official opening of the movie. "How a 45-year-old man and a 10-year-old boy see New York are completely different things."

The movie, which also stars Robin Williams, tells the story of a talented young musician who plays in the streets of New York with an eccentric companion looking for parents he has never met.

Rhys Meyers plays the young boy's father who doesn't know about his child's existence. The actor said he wanted to portray the man as compassionate. "He is not a guitar genius ... but the true gift of his music passes on to his son."